Glass Lilies
by FineChyna
Summary: Kaneki thought he'd met his death at the hands of the CCG's Reaper. And in all honesty, he'd accepted it. But when he unexpectedly wakes up in the world of Remnant, a strange place with even stranger rules, it might prove to be even more perilous then then the place he left behind. The question is-with the people he meets there, will Kaneki be so content to die?
1. Where He Fell

In the split second Kaneki woke up, everything was fine.

It was very similar to waking up in the morning: for just a tiny fraction of a second, he didn't think anything. Didn't feel anything. Didn't know where he was. His brain hadn't yet turned on, and therefore wasn't capable of thought process.

And then that split second was over, and sensation crashed over him like a tidal wave.

The first and only thing Kaneki could comprehend was the pain. His head was aching like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his skull, his right leg was one throbbing mangle of agony, and every inch of his back stung as if he had been roasted over a fire. Kaneki coughed and felt blood spray over his lips; he realized that he must have some sort of internal damage as well, which would explain the horrible burning in his stomach. Unable to stop himself, he let out a strangled cry that faded into another round of coughing.

Despite this, none of these injuries truly concerned him. Already, he could feel the his body healing: closing wounds, fusing bones, growing new skin over raw patches of flesh. After a minute or two, most of the pain had faded, although his stomach still burned, and there was a strange, sharp pressure whenever he tried to breathe.

Once the pain had mostly dissipated, Kaneki was able to devote his thoughts to other things. For a few seconds, he struggled to remember what had happened prior to him losing consciousness. When he remembered it, the memory struck him like a punch in the gut. _Anteiku!_

Kaneki's mind went from calm to panicked in seconds. He had no idea what had happened to the ghoul-run coffee shop—for all he knew, the CCG could have slaughtered everyone there. How long had he been unconscious? How long had it been since the raid? Was anyone still alive? _Why_ hadn't he been able to protect them?

Kaneki managed to reign in his emotions. He knew the answer to the last question, actually. He hadn't been able to see the fight to the finish due to his deadly battle with Arima. The details were hazy to him, but bits and pieces stood out in lurid detail: sudden blindness in one eye, pain so bad he felt like the inside of his skull had been reduced to boiling acid, the grim-faced ghoul investigator standing over him, blade aimed point-down at Kaneki's head. The rest of the fight was a blur of blood, pain, and a tirade of nonsensical words so tangled and snarled he couldn't even remember if _he'd_ known what he was thinking.

At the thought of the fight, Kaneki frowned, remembering something. He blinked a few times to make sure, but that just reinforced what he was thinking: both his eyes were still intact. His head still ached, but more like the endings of a headache, and definitely not the acidic torture it had been during the fight. None of the other injuries he remembered were present, either, and he was fairly certain that his still-healing wounds hadn't come from the duel. Despite everything, he was alive and relatively well.

 _How is that even possible?_ Kaneki thought. Even if, by some miracle, he _had_ managed to avoid Arima stabbing him the second time, there was no doubt in his mind that the first strike had gone clean through his skull. Could anyone recover from that, even a fast-healing half-ghoul? And even if he had healed, how had he escaped? _How did I end up…?_

Realizing he wasn't entirely sure where he was, Kaneki took his first good look around since he had woken up. What he saw surprised him. He was surrounded by leaves and branches, over, under, and all around, and—now that he stopped to check—his feet weren't touching anything solid. It was almost like…

Kaneki looked down—and immediately wished he hadn't. Protruding from his stomach was at least a foot of tree branch, smeared with blood from point to base. Suddenly, the still-present burn and difficulty breathing made sense.

Getting impaled through the stomach was no longer a new occurrence for Kaneki; it had happened more times than he cared to count. However, getting strung up like a piece of laundry was new, even to him. Hesitantly, he grabbed the tree branch where it protruded from his body. It took him a few tries to get a good grip—his rapid healing had left him weak, and the coating of blood had slicked the bark considerably—but in the end he managed to grab on. Digging his fingers into the tree, Kaneki flexed his arms and pulled.

Red-hot nausea swirled in a burning wave through his stomach. Kaneki inhaled sharply, winced, and coughed again, more blood trickling down his chin. He felt himself move forward an inch or two. Slowly, steadily, he managed to pull himself forward, only stopping to breathe when a rough edge scraped into the raw wound.

When he was only a few inches away from freedom, Kaneki stopped and took a deep breath. Grabbing the end of the branch in his hand, he wrenched up, taking it off as if it were made of styrofoam. Letting the branch fragment fall from his grasp, he reached behind him, grabbed the branch awkwardly between his hands, and pushed hard.

There was a final stab of pain, and then he was falling. Twisting midair, Kaneki took in his surroundings in a lightning second—ground rushing up to meet him, tree a foot away, another tree five feet across from him, more trees all around—before reaching out with his hand. Instantly, he touched rough bark and pushed away, going from a fall to a diagonal leap in less than a second. His aim was spot on: he hit the adjacent tree and used it as a kickstand to launch himself to the ground. Despite his best effort, the landing was too much for him. The instant he hit the earth, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to his hands and knees.

Kaneki made no attempt to get up; instead, he took a minute get his strength back, gulping down lungfuls of loamy, dirt-tinged forest air and spitting out the last of the blood in his mouth. The burn in his stomach was steadily diminishing—already, the wound was healing, stretching sinews in crossing arcs through the hole and weaving together. _Once this heals, I need to figure out where the hell I am, what happened to Anteiku, and how I got away from Arima._

Feeling slightly more confident now that he had a plan, Kaneki slowly eased himself into a sitting position. Blood dripped down his stomach and pooled onto the grass, but he knew that in a second, the bleeding would—

 _Hunger._

Out of nowhere, a new pain sank claws into his stomach, so strong it forced him to fold over, gasping in pain. Hunger writhed and gnawed through his body like a thousand angry centipedes, leaving nothing but pain and hollowness in its wake. Pressing both hands tightly over the wound in his abdomen, Kaneki felt the repairs slow down and cease, leaving a hole the size of a golf ball through his stomach, surrounded by a wider patch of bloody, ribboned skin and muscle. New thoughts pushed their way to the front of his mind—hungry thoughts, a terrible craving for flesh.

Kaneki gritted his teeth and forced himself to concentrate, pushing his hunger to the back of his mind. _I don't have time for this!_ He struggled into a kneeling position, sucking in wheezing breaths through tightly clenched teeth and desperately trying to ignore the hollow, chewing agony in his stomach. He knew the odds of there being anyone nearby were slim, and he had no time to stop and search. The only thing he could do was endure until he figured out where he was.

After a minute of painful concentration, Kaneki managed to stagger to his feet. Setting his jaw and tightly clasping his wound, he took a step forward. Then another. Every movement was torture, but nothing he wasn't used to. _I can do this_ , he thought grimly. _I can—_

The wind shifted, carrying with it a faint scent. A faint, sweet, mouthwatering scent, one he recognized all too well. One that crushed Kaneki's already waning willpower to dust. Human flesh, somewhere not too far away.

The unraveling of reason was instantaneous. His hunger reared up like a feral beast, engulfed him, dragged him down into blood-tinged madness. The agony in his stomach became unbearable. He had to eat, and he had to eat _now._

Like a shark scenting blood in the water, Kaneki whirled around and was off, making his way through the forest much quicker than his wound should have allowed. He ignored the pain shooting through his body, ignored the roots and uneven ground that threatened to trip him. He desperately needed food, and he knew that somewhere, some unlucky human was going to provide him with some...whether they wanted to or not.

* * *

Kaneki's travel through the forest passed by in a blur. Trees, grass, leaves and rocks blurred and ran together into a stream of earthen tones as he raced across the ground. He encountered no people as he ran, although there were several times where he thought he could make out voices and strange, bestial roars in the distance. One time, he could have sworn he spotted something black and hairy rustling in the underbrush, but it wasn't the source of the smell he was chasing, so he ran by without a second glance.

He couldn't say for certain how long he ran. Time faded away in a haze of hunger and bloodlust. After a while, the trees began to thin. The sky became more visible. He put on a final burst of speed, knowing without a doubt that the human was near—and suddenly, he saw it.

The forest opened up to a massive cliff edge, easily the length of a football field. The ground was covered in coarse, short grass right up to the edge of the cliff. The wind whispered across the ground, cold and light.

There was a girl (or at least, he was fairly certain it was a girl) at the edge of the cliff, facing away from him. She was small, and mostly covered by a red, hooded cloak. Kaneki found himself forcibly reminded of Little Red Riding Hood. _Well, if she's Little Red Riding Hood,_ he thought deliriously, _then I guess that makes me the wolf._ He grinned ferally at the thought.

However, the weapon the girl held hardly belonged in a child's fairy tale. It was a massive scythe, made up of interlocking pieces of red and black metal. It was as tall as the girl and had a silvery blade longer than Kaneki's arm. Was it a quinque? He couldn't be certain, but he didn't think so—something about it didn't look quite right. Since they were derived from the kakuhou of ghoul's, quinques tended to have strange, shifting colors, or at least something other than flat silver. Still, the only weapons like this one he had ever seen were quinques. _Better be careful._

Kaneki covered the distance to the girl quick and quiet as the casting of a shadow. She hadn't even heard him yet, she was small and frail-looking, and a blade like that, quinque or not, would be useless once he knocked it off the cliff. He could feel slaver build up in his mouth as he got even closer. She'd taste delicious, he knew it.

There was a small _snap_ as Kaneki crushed a twig underfoot. The girl tensed, turning ever so slightly, but it was too late. He knew she wouldn't be able to escape, he was only a meter away from her, his hand was stretched out, ready to grab...

Silver eyes locked onto his, widening, and suddenly everything dissolved in a flurry of red.

Blinded by the sudden crimson cloud, Kaneki grabbed wildly, hands finding nothing but air. He skidded to a stop to avoid hurtling off the cliff, the red cloud dissipating around him. Letting out a growl of annoyance, he whirled on his heel, scanning the area desperately. There was no way a human could have moved that fast, and that girl was human. The way her scent was driving him wild with hunger was proof of that. _Where did you go?_

The girl was standing not five feet away, scythe slung almost casually over her shoulder. Now that she had turned to face him, he could make her out more clearly—a waifish pixie with short, choppy red hair, dark as old blood at the top and lightening to a dull scarlet at the tips. She was dressed in red and black exclusively—a black dress with red tulle frills, hooded red cloak over her shoulders, black-and-red lace-up boots. Around her waist was a belt hung heavy with bullets.

Starving as he was, Kaneki couldn't help but notice that the girl didn't look scared, but confused. There was no doubt in his mind that his kakugan was clearly visible, turning his left eye into a nightmare of black and red. That should have been more than enough to alert this girl to his ghoul nature. Yet she was looking at him like he was nothing more than...well, a stranger who'd tried to sneak up on her.

 _Why isn't she afraid?_

The girl shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Uh, is there a costume party after the test or something?" she said, voice full of the innocent squeak of someone who wasn't quite grown up yet. "Cool eye, by the way. You definitely surprised me, that's for sure. How'd you do it? Some kind of contact lense?" Shifting her gaze, she noticed the blood-soaked hole in his clothing and the shredded flesh underneath. Her expression immediately twisted in concern, eyes practically bugging out of her head. "Oh my gosh! What happened to you?"

Kaneki grinned lopsidedly. "I went walking in the forest by myself," he sneered, "and got my insides ripped out by the Big Bad Wolf."

Quick as a whip, he leapt at the girl, mouth wide open, sights set on her shoulder. The girl tensed and vanished once again, leaving a cloud of red in her wake. Once again unprepared, Kaneki leaned too far and collapsed to the ground, showered in small, leaf-like objects. Plucking one from the air, he held it close to his face for examination. No doubt about it—it was a rose petal. It remained in his hand for a few seconds before melting away to nothing, along with the rest of the cloud.

Kaneki pushed himself to his feet, getting more and more irritated with the nonsensical turn of events. _Where did these come from? Am I hallucinating?_

The girl re-appeared off to his right, slightly farther away than the first time, looking slightly more scared than she had been. Maybe he _was_ hallucinating—he swore he saw more rose petals trailing from the edge of her cloak. "What's wrong with you?" She wavered, leveling her scythe at him. "You're not making sense. And how are you still up? You should be in a hospital!"

Memories of his last hospital visit bubbled up in Kaneki's mind, prompting him to chuckle, mad and raspy. "Don't you know?" he said brokenly. "Hospitals are where they make the monsters." He laughed again, ending in a cough that had him spitting blood. "They take you there and cut you open and mix you _aaalll_ up inside."

The girl's eyes widened in fear, darkening from silver to the cold iron of storm clouds. Her hand strayed up the handle of her scythe, wrapping tight around a lever on the side. "What do you want?" She asked, barely containing the tremble in her voice.

Before Kaneki could answer, a voice called up faintly from below the cliff. "Ruby! You okay up there?" Another female, but older. "What's happening?"

'Ruby' twisted around for a split second, opened her mouth to reply. That was all the time Kaneki needed. He leapt one last time, pouring all his speed into the movement. The girl turned her head, but he had finally caught her off guard. He knocked her weapon to the edge of the cliff and grabbed her shoulders in a vice-like grip, sending both of them tumbling. When they slammed into the ground, by sheer luck, Kaneki wound up on top.

Pinning the girl's arms to the dirt, Kaneki looked down on her, leering. "No talking, now," he rasped, giggling hoarsely. "Wouldn't want anyone bothering us, after all." He tightened his grip on Ruby's wrists, eliciting a whimper of pain. "Now, you asked me what I wanted? I'll tell you. What I want...is _you!"_

Opening his mouth wide, Kaneki smashed his face into Ruby's shoulder and bit down.

Instead of sinking into flesh, his teeth hit something else, something flexible, but solid, like a layer of thick plastic. Ruby squealed in apparent pain, despite the fact that Kaneki was fairly certain he hadn't broken the skin. As quick as he'd bitten down, he pulled away, frowning in confusion. The girl's clothes weren't even ripped. _What the hell?_

Ruby seemed to be thinking the same, but for very different reasons. She stared up at Kaneki with wide, watery eyes the color of steel. When she spoke, her childlike voice was thick with disbelief. "Did you just… _bite_ me?"

Kaneki ignored her and tried again, clamping his mouth down on the girl's shoulder. The invisible barrier was still there. He let out a muffled, exasperated shriek and bit down harder, but it was no use. No matter how hard he bit, the barrier stayed, bending under the pressure, but refusing to budge. Despite this, Ruby still cried out in pain. She struggled to break free of his grip, but her speed seemed to far outstrip her strength—she might as well have been lying still for all the good her struggles did her.

Kaneki straightened back up again, thoroughly confused, more than a little annoyed, and still very hungry. Ruby took advantage of this and tried to throw him off one last time, but he pinned her down easily. Switching both her wrists to one hand and making sure they were stuck to the dirt, Kaneki touched the the girl's shoulder, testing the cloth of her outfit. It seemed to be ordinary fabric. "Why don't you bleed?" He hissed angrily.

" _GET AWAY FROM HER!"_

The screamed threat was all the warning he had. One second, he was sitting up, straddling Ruby's stomach and pinning her to the ground; the next, there was a _bang_ , and what felt like a small meteor struck the side of his chest. Caught completely off guard, Kaneki was sent flying. He hit the ground, rolled a few times, then came to a stop and lay still. Knocked breathless, he wheezed in agony as his side blistered—whatever had hit him had been _hot_ , and, by the feel of his chest, broken several of his ribs. Every breath made it feel as though his lungs were on the verge of being skewered.

Kaneki screwed his eyes shut, breathing in quick, shallow gasps in an attempt to hold back the waves of pain that threatened to drown him. He could no longer distinguish between what was hunger and what was damage—every inch of his body, inside and out, was in agony. Alternating spots of light and dark crowded his vision as he desperately tried to stay conscious.

It took him a moment, but Kaneki managed to open his eyes and look in the direction the attack had come from. Somehow, more people had arrived. Instead of just Ruby, there were now three more girls gathered at the edge of the cliff. They all looked older than the girl in the red cloak, and each one was stranger than the last.

There was a girl with long, moon-white hair not unlike his own, pulled into an elegant ponytail at the side of her head. The rest of her was as pale as her hair: porcelain skin, an ice-colored lacy dress and silver high-heeled boots, eyes like an arctic sky. Even the scar that ran through her left eye was a washed-out peach. She carried a silver fencing sword in her hand; instead of a normal hilt, the handle was set with a ring of glass vials, each one a different color.

Next to the pale girl was a girl who may as well have been her polar opposite. Other than her skin, everything about her was dark as ink: tangled black hair, a black corset and boots layered over lacy white underclothes, black bow on top of her head. Her eyes were the only thing that differed from her color scheme—a bright amber-gold that reminded Kaneki of the eyes of the cats he'd seen skulking in alleys. In her hand she clutched a blade like an elongated meat cleaver, dark as the rest of her, with a ribbon tied at the hilt that wound up her arm.

The final girl was definitely the brightest. A curly lion's mane of brilliantly bright golden hair tumbled down to her shoulders, framing a determined scowl and furious lavender eyes. Her clothes were all shades of gold, orange, and black: brown vest over a yellow shirt, black shorts, a brown skirt, black gloves, brown boots, and orange socks pulled up at uneven heights. Her lower arms were encased in bright yellow gauntlets.

"What did he do?" The blonde growled, glaring daggers at Kaneki.

Ruby, who at some point had retrieved her scythe, shrugged. "He tried to bite me, I think. He was yammering on about a bunch of random stuff, too. But he's hurt pretty bad. I'm not sure how 'there' he is."

For the first time, the three new girls seemed to notice the hole in Kaneki's abdomen and the slowly drying blood caked over his front. The three girls recoiled as if they'd just seen something rotting. _"Pretty bad?"_ The white-haired repeated incredulously. "How in the world is he still alive?"

The black-haired girl started walking towards Kaneki, although she kept her blade at her side. "Wait!" The blonde protested. "What are you—"

"He's hurt," the black-haired girl replied, not stopping in her approach. "And I don't know if you can see from back there, but your punch hurt him even more. Either he won't use his Aura, or he can't. Either way, he's not going to be much of a threat." She made it to where Kaneki lay, kneeling down in front of him. She studied him for a few moments, then turned back to face her comrades, slinging her blade over her back. "He's still breathing, at least. But I'm pretty sure he's unconscious."

Kaneki abruptly realized that he hadn't moved since landing. _I might be able to do this._ He did his best to stay perfectly still, watching the girls through barely-opened eyelids.

The black-haired looked Kaneki up and down a few times, then inched closer. The closer to him she got, the more nervous she seemed to get. "Are you guys going to help me, or do I have to carry him by myself?" She called impatiently.

The blonde girl and Ruby took a few hesitant steps forward. The white-haired girl, however, stayed where she was, although she lowered her sword. "Should we really help him?" She said doubtfully. "I mean, Ruby said he's violent, and we don't even know him."

Ruby looked back. "Weiss, he doesn't even have a weapon. And we can't just let him die. We're supposed to be the good guys, remember?"

The newly named Weiss frowned. "Still…" She trailed off, unable to come up with an argument, but still unwilling to approach.

The black-haired girl, in the meantime, had been examining Kaneki's wounds. "Okay, we have to be careful," she said. "He's hurt pretty bad. This hole goes right through his stomach. It might just be best if…" She trailed off and reached her arms around the injured half-ghoul, awkwardly lifting him up into a semi-sitting position. Despite the pain that shot through his abdomen and chest like bolts of lightning, he stayed perfectly still as the girl leaned him against her body.

That was what Kaneki had been waiting for. The half-ghoul waited until his head bumped against the girl's shoulder, then opened his eyes. Instantly, Ruby and the blonde were on alert. "Blake—!" Ruby yelped, but it was already too late.

Kaneki bit down on the black-haired girl's shoulder with all of his remaining strength. For a second, he worried that the strange barrier would reappear, but luck was on his side. His teeth sank into flesh unobstructed, as easily as if it were water.

The sensation of blood splashing over his tongue was like a lungful of air to a drowning man. Kaneki clamped down harder greedily, taking the biggest mouthful of flesh he could, not even caring that the girl's blood was off, bitter and sour under a mask of human sweetness. 'Blake' cried out in shock and pain, shoving him away. The action was a mistake—although he fell to the ground, a chunk of the girl's shoulder tore away with him. He swallowed it whole before he even touched the earth.

Kaneki hit the ground, but hardly felt the impact that jolted his body. New energy flowed through his body and limbs, the pain finally diminishing as the hole in his stomach closed up. His abdomen was still wounded—both his front and back were missing a chunk, as if some clawed beast had gouged out a handful on either side—but he'd stopped bleeding, and it wasn't quite as painful as it had been. His ribs realigned, bones tentatively shifting into their proper places, but not healing completely. The one thing that remained unchanged was his hunger.

Kaneki managed stood up, blood trickling from his mouth. The victim of his attack had fallen to her knees, hissing in pain through her teeth and grabbing at her shoulder as if to cram the falling blood back into her body. She shouldn't have bothered—already, the shoulder of her shirt and her upper arm were dripping with red. Both Weiss and the blonde rushed to the dark girl's side and adopted combat stances, the former with her sword pointed, the latter with her fists raised. Ruby, who was currently attempting to stem the bleeding in Blake's shoulder, stared at him in horror. Her eyes travelled from newly-shrunk wound in his stomach to the scarlet trails of blood on his chin. "What are you?" She whispered, horrified.

Kaneki lazily reached up a hand and wiped away the blood that streaked his jaw. As his hand left his face, he folded his thumb over a single black-nailed finger and pressed down hard. The _crack_ that split the air made all four girls flinch.

"What am I?" Kaneki mused, mouth tugging into a grin. On a whim, he summoned his kagune. Four long, blood-red tentacles peeled away from the small of his back and unfurled like flower petals. The four girls blanched, eyes widening in unison. The effect was almost comical; Kaneki couldn't help but giggle.

"To tell you the truth...right now, I'm starving."

* * *

It was only once the fight got underway that Kaneki realized it wouldn't be as easy as he thought.

He took the initiative and attacked first; darting forward and lashing out with his kagune. Even injured, Kaneki was a fast fighter—the blood-red protrusion sliced through the air with an audible _swish_ , more than fast enough to land a hit. However, somehow, all four girls reacted fast and jumped to avoid it—even the injured Blake. By the time the dust cleared, all four were standing, no worse for the wear.

 _They shouldn't have been able to dodge that so well...Maybe I underestimated them._

Ruby put a hand on Blake's uninjured shoulder. "Blake, get out of here. Go and get Pyrrha and the others. Tell them not to worry." She lifted her scythe threateningly. "We can handle this guy."

The dark haired girl nodded and ran towards the edge of the cliff. Kaneki grinned and leapt, jumping high in the air and landing directly in front of her, blocking her escape. The landing sent shots of acid through his stomach, chest, and legs—he simply ignored it, too wrapped up in the moment to care.

Blake had just enough time to flinch and skid to a stop before Kaneki attacked. His kagune shot out and wrapped around the shocked girl—one around her legs, one around her waist, one pinning her arms to her sides. "I may not be a good cook," he said, "but I don't think food is supposed to run away after one bite." Before she could so much as begin to struggle, he tossed her, hard, off the end of the cliff. She didn't even scream; completely silent, she tumbled head over heels through the air and out of sight.

The rest of the girls looked on in horror. There was a fraction of a second's pause, and then the blonde snapped. She took off towards Kaneki as fast as she could, screaming a challenge and cocking back her fist.

He was ready. The girl lead with a raised fist, so as she approached, he fully expected a punch. However, she twisted her body and switched to a kick at the last second, catching him by surprise. Reacting fast, Kaneki raised a hand and blocked, swiping the girl's foot to the side and rendering her off-balance, if only for a second.

Thankfully, a second was all he needed. Kaneki followed with an upward swipe of his kagune, catching the girl full in the chest and launching her high into the air, directly towards the edge of the cliff. Fairly certain that the blonde was out of the picture, he eyed the remaining girls. They all had blades, but since he doubted they were quinques, the odds of any of them being able to hurt him were slim. He'd just have to move fast, and soon enough—

A _bang_ from overhead derailed his train of thought. Distracted, Kaneki looked up just in time. A blur of gold and brown filled his vision, and he had time only to leap to the side before the blonde hit the ground, knocking a crater in the dirt and sending up a massive cloud of dirt, stones, andloose grass.

Kaneki landed in a crouched stance, sucking in a quiet, pained hiss as the fast movement tugged at the wound in his abdomen. The blonde was up, somehow perfectly okay after a fall that would have at least stunned most humans. Before he could process what he was seeing, she threw three lightning fast air-punches, one after the other. Each punch was accompanied by a _bang_ and a ball of fire hurtling towards him, issued from the gauntlets on her arms.

 _What the fuck?!_

Shocked as he was, Kaneki was able to dodge each blast, although the first one was so close he felt his skin blister as it passed. The third one he jumped straight over, ribs burning all the while, pushing himself with his kagune and winding back a punch. He reached the girl and struck; however, she dodged to the side and responded with her own punch that he just barely avoided.

The two traded punches and kicks, ducking, dodging, and attacking with monstrous force. With his injuries, Kaneki would have been in trouble, save for one thing: while the girl's punches were powerful, and more often than not accompanied by a blast of red-hot force, she lacked superior speed and agility. He was able to dodge or block each hit, and even land a few of his own, although they were few, far between, and didn't seem to do much.

However, his advantage didn't last long. Good fighter or not, Kaneki's injuries were slowing him down. When the girl launched a punch towards his face, he only just barely got out of the way—he _felt_ the skin on his face burn as it passed. Knowing he had to end it quickly, Kaneki twisted to the side, ducked, and uppercutted the blonde square in the chest.

She flew backwards and tumbled a few times, but managed to stick a hand against the ground and drag herself to a halt. Kaneki took that opportunity to run forward, leap into the air, and slam his kagune down in a cage-like formation around the girl. She grunted in pain as the edges of the red protrusions grated against her skin and locked her in place. Somehow, she didn't bleed, but Kaneki didn't stop to dwell on that.

He was about to close the empty space and crush the blonde when a red blur materialized in front of her, faster than even he could track. There was a flash of red and silver, and something struck his kagune with a _clang._

The blow couldn't pierce the protrusions, but it did knock Kaneki unsteady, forcing him to land heavily on the ground. The instant he touched the earth, Ruby was on him, so fast he could hardly track her, twirling her scythe in a strike that would have taken his arm off—had the blade been able to cut his skin. True to his earlier guess, the blade was _not_ a quinque, so although his clothing was slit open along his shoulder, the skin underneath was fine.

The same couldn't be said for the girl's weapon. It rebounded off his body with a harsh metallic _clang,_ knocking a bruise into Kaneki's shoulder, but leaving with a tiny dent in the metal. Ruby staggered from the recoil, backed up, eyed the dent in her weapon with horror, and actually teared up. "Guys!" She cried. "I think his Aura's working again!" She darted back, out of striking range, and lifted her weapon, showing off the damage.

The other two girls stared. "That's _not_ Aura," Weiss said.

Kaneki had no idea what Aura was, or why these girls seemed to think he had one, but he was not going to stand idly by and wait for them to finish talking. Seeing that Ruby was distracted, Kaneki crouched and ran towards her, kagune trailing behind him. By the time she realized he was coming, he had already leapt, whipping two tentacles towards her side.

Surprisingly, the young girl was able to counter—with reflexes worthy of any ghoul investigator, she swung her scythe and managed to block the attack. He took advantage of the girl's lowered guard and tried to use the other two tentacles to jab under her ribs. However, she managed to block that as well. Kaneki frowned and attacked, striking to the left, then the right, then back to left, then straight down the middle as he flipped backwards and away. Each time, the girl was able to block him with her weapon, the blade dancing from hand to hand so lightly he started to wonder if she was really as young as she looked.

As Kaneki landed from his flip, he looked up just in time to see the girl slam her scythe blade-first into the ground and pull a lever on the side. There was a white flash of light and a _bang_ like a gunshot—startled, Kaneki didn't react until a hot bolt of pain lanced through his already bruised shoulder. Hissing in pain, he staggered back, hand gripping his shoulder tightly as blood pooled and dripped beneath his fingers.

 _They don't have quinques, but they have Q-bullets?_ In _their_ _weapons_? _What the hell?_

Kaneki glared at the girl, let go of his shoulder, and leapt, using his kagune for extra height. Taking aim, he fell into a kick, but Ruby blocked him with her scythe, so that he ended up standing on it. Without a moment's hesitation, he leaned forward, grabbing the scythe to keep his balance, and flipped over the handle. Shoulder and chest howling in protest, he completed the flip and brought both his heels down— _hard_ —on the girl's skull. Without waiting to see the effect it had on her, he used her head as a springboard and kicked away, flipping back and landing on his feet a good distance away. Once he landed, he looked to see what condition Ruby was in.

Even though his injuries kept him from fighting to his fullest, the kick should have been more than enough to crack the girl's head open; knock her out, split the skin, _something_. And yet although she fell backwards and hit the ground with a cry of pain, she was up in a few seconds, seemingly not injured.

 _Maybe...is she a ghoul? Even if she can't use her kagune, her eyes would have changed by now...But how else could she be that sturdy?_

The memory of the strange invisible barrier resurfaced. _That's probably protecting her, but what is it? How do I break it?_

Clenching his jaw, Kaneki folded his thumb over his middle finger and pressed down, cracking the joint with a sound like a snapping branch. _I'll just have to keep attacking._

" _Weiss!"_ Ruby yelled, shaking her head like she was trying to get water out of her ear. The white-haired girl stepped out from behind her and shot towards Kaneki, moving so fast that she practically skated across the ground. In seconds, she reached him and drew back her sword, aiming a stab at his stomach that he reflexively avoided. However, his injuries were starting to seriously slow him down—the blade nicked his side, slitting his clothes and cutting just deep enough to trace a line of blood across his skin.

For a split second, Kaneki could only stare at the cut. _So_ some _of them have quinques, but they can't recognize a ghoul?_

Kaneki realized that he could no longer be so careless. Anticipating the next attack, he jumped left, twisting mid-air and just avoiding Weiss's blade as she swiped it right. The instant he landed, he struck with his kagune, managing to land a blow straight to the girl's abdomen. For all intents and purposes, she should have been finished right there—with the way he angled the hit, his kagune should have gone straight through her stomach and out the other side.

However, Kaneki may as well have struck a mountainside for all the good his attack did. Weiss flew backwards and hit the ground, completely winded, but not bleeding at all. In less than a minute, she was up again, looking much angrier. The ground glowed beneath her feet, and as he watched, stunned, a glowing blue symbol superimposed itself onto the grass.

Weiss shot across the ground so fast Kaneki could hardly follow. Reacting on instinct alone, he leapt straight up, pushing his kagune into the ground for height—he had barely left the ground when the girl struck at the space where he'd been not a split second before. However, the ground glowed _again—_ at this close a range, Kaneki could see it was some sort of circular insignia—and miraculously, the girl leapt _just as high as he had._

Kaneki could do nothing but stare as Weiss reached eye level. She twisted, placing herself parallel to the ground, and bent her legs. The same symbol from before appeared behind her, and she pushed off of it, as if it were a solid surface. Going so fast Kaneki could hardly see her, she shot by his side, dragging her sword across his waist where she'd nicked him earlier and carving a deep, bleeding gash. So deep was the slash that he could have sworn he heard the blade scraping against his spine.

Before Kaneki could so much as react to the pain, the girl was back, zooming by his right and dragging a matching slash into his skin. She flipped mid-air and landed gracefully on the grass before blood could even begin to flow.

But flow it did. Thick, sticky scarlet poured from either side, falling through the air like crimson raindrops. Mind hazed with pain, Kaneki lost awareness of his surroundings—next thing he knew, there was an all-too-familiar _bang._ There were one, two, three seconds of nothing, and then a tremendous and scorching impact directly to his chest. His already broken ribs were knocked out of place, and his remaining ones snapped like dry twigs.

Kaneki fell, fell, and fell, down through fire and blood and excruciating pain. His last thought before the hard ground knocked him into darkness was what he must have looked like—a burning body falling to Earth, like some kind of morbid shooting star.

* * *

"What can we do? He's starving to death!"

Kaneki couldn't seem to open his eyes. Every part of him ached, a slow, steady agony that pulsed with the erratic beating of his heart. Just hearing people talking made his insides burn with hunger. He tried to move, but even if each movement _hadn't_ made him feel as though his bones were breaking, something strong at his wrists and ankles kept him pinned.

"Did you try an IV drip?"

"The needle won't pierce his skin! We've broken three already!"

They were mocking him, that was it...torturing him by putting food just out of reach when they _knew_ how hungry he was. Cruel, sadistic bastards, all of them. Didn't they know, didn't they _understand_ how painful starvation was to a ghoul? It felt like his stomach was being ripped inside out.

"What? How is that possible?"

"I don't know!"

"Dammit! What about a feeding tube? Did you try that?"

"He threw up everything it sent down his throat!"

"What are we going to do? If we can't find something he can eat, he's going to die!"

The constant talk of food was too much. Kaneki's rage boiled over and, with one swift yank, he ripped his right arm loose from its restraint. The action sent a sickening _crack_ of pain through his wrist, but it was worth it if it meant he could get up and find food. However, it alerted the voices talking.

" _What the hell?!"_

"Quick, sedate him!"

There was a hissing sound somewhere nearby. Too late, Kaneki felt the plastic mask strapped tight over his mouth and nose. He desperately tried to rip it off, but his one free hand hung, useless and broken, from his wrist, and his fingers wouldn't respond to his frantic attempts to grab. The air he was breathing turned to lead and oil, heavy and thick and cloying. Oozing through his body like toxic sludge, it filled his lungs, weighed down his eyes, and dragged him back into unconsciousness.

* * *

"What the...what are you doing with that? Where did you _get_ that?"

"Don't ask. Professor Ozpin said to try feeding it to him."

Kaneki couldn't even comprehend what the voices were saying anymore. His hunger had become the only thing that was real—burning, clawing, devouring him from the inside. It hadn't been this bad since those terrible first weeks after he had become a half-ghoul. He'd tried to break free again, but whatever was holding him down was much stronger this time. If this was their plan, holding him until he starved to death, he wished they'd just kill him outright and end it quickly.

"Is he insane? What makes him think that _that_ will work?"

"He wouldn't say. Here, move over."

"Wait! Don't do—!"

Someone removed the mask from Kaneki's face and held something to his mouth. The instant the scent of blood hit him, his hunger took control. The sweet taste of human flesh flooded his mouth, and Kaneki lost himself to his starvation.

When he finally woke up for good, Kaneki was alone, and his hunger was finally gone.

Blinking, he sat up, realizing that the restraints that had held him earlier were gone. He was stretched out on a cot, covered in a cool sheet. The room around him was white and clinically clean—a patient's room of some sort. He swallowed with difficulty. His mouth and throat were bone dry and tasted vaguely sweet, as if he'd been eating handfuls of icing sugar. Looking around slowly, Kaneki saw a glass of water on the bedside table, as well as a neatly folded pile of clothes. He lifted an arm, but realized that it was obstructed. He blinked and stared—his right arm was wrapped in a clean white cast.

That drew attention to the rest of his body. His bodysuit was gone, replaced by a powder blue hospital gown. Kaneki looked himself over, noticing the brace around his chest, the tight bandages around his stomach, the padded gauze at his sides. He contemplated them all for a moment, mildly amused, before setting to work stripping them off. The cast gave him the most trouble—he stared at it for a full ten seconds before giving up and bashing it hard against his knee until it cracked.

Kaneki peeled the last of the plaster off his arm, grabbed the glass of water, and downed it in one gulp. It was as he placed the glass back on the table that he suddenly remembered what had happened prior to him passing out. Parts of it were fuzzy, but enough was clear for him to realize that he'd been caught. His blood ran cold.

Kaneki looked around the room. Is that where he was now, CCG headquarters? Was he already in a cell in the infamous Cochlea prison?

The thought had no sooner entered his head than he dismissed it. The room hardly looked like a prison cell. It was too furnished, too...open. Besides, he doubted ghouls at Cochlea were left glasses of water when they got injured. However, that didn't change the fact that someone had brought him to this place, and that same someone was most likely waiting for him to wake up. Right now, getting out was top priority.

Kaneki swung his legs around the edge of the bed and pushed himself to his feet. His legs were a little shaky, but otherwise held his weight. Taking a few slow steps to get his balance back, Kaneki made his way across the room and tried the door.

Locked.

They'd locked him in. Kaneki looked warily around the room, examining every detail, every shadowy corner. Was that a camera glinting on the shelf? Was that mirror really a mirror, or a panel of two-way glass? Was someone watching him, even now, walking around the room like an animal in a new pen? Now that they knew he was awake, would they come in? He had no idea why he was still alive, but could only guess that whoever had brought him here wanted something from him.

 _Well, they won't get it._

Kaneki flexed his arms and legs a few times, before grabbing at the clothes that had been left out. They were plain and clean, just a white shirt and black pants, but they would do. He dressed on autopilot, running through his situation in his mind. All of his injuries seemed to have healed now that he had eaten, although he couldn't remember where he had found food. Breaking out would be difficult, maybe even impossible. But he had to try—

There was a faint _creak_ behind him as the door slid open.

The decision was made before he was even aware of making it. Kaneki pivoted on his heel, leapt, and snapped his foot out towards whoever had entered the room. The person who thought they could sneak up on him was in for a surprise—

Instead of flesh, his foot hit something thin and hard with a _thwack_. Kaneki froze, foot still held in the air, and looked at who he was currently attacking. His foot had been blocked by the edge of a black leather riding crop, which was currently being held by an austere-looking woman. Her platinum blonde hair was tied back in an elegant bun, which, with her stern chartreuse eyes, crisp blouse, and pressed dress pants, gave her the immediate look of someone who demanded respect. The only thing that ruined this visage was the cape she wore—dark purple, cut to look like a jumble of arrows at the ends.

The woman glared at Kaneki, who stared back for a second before cautiously lowering his foot. The woman glowered and, never lowering her crop or taking her eyes off him, spoke. "This is why I decided to come with you," she said.

Someone stepped out from behind the woman. It was a older man, dressed from head to toe in various shades of green: green coat over green vest over green shirt and green pants. Even the silk scarf on his neck, held in place with a small silver cross, was green. His hair was rumpled and grey, and glasses were so crooked, they looked like some sort of abstract wire sculpture. In one hand he held a mug of what smelled like hot chocolate; in the other, a long black cane with a silver globe on the top.

"A fact I am truly grateful for, Glynda," the man said, never taking his eyes off Kaneki. "However, I'd like to speak to this young man alone."

The woman seemed scandalized. "Professor—"

"That will be all," the man cut her off. "If you'd be willing to wait outside the door, I promise, I'll alert you if something goes wrong."

The woman huffed, lowered her riding crop, whirled on her heel, and exited the room, closing the door behind her with just a little more force than necessary.

Kaneki watched her leave before refocusing on the man. _He isn't armed,_ he mused. _Taking him down wouldn't be much of a challenge. If it turned out he_ was _armed, I should be able to break down the door to escape. Either way, I'll be able to get out if things turn bad._

The man regarded him, face impassive, eyes alight with a benign curiosity. He lifted the mug he held to his lips and took a long drink before speaking.

"Now that you've calmed down a bit, why don't we talk?"


	2. Revelations and Ramifications

**Hello, everyone! So yeah. This is chapter two. It wasn't supposed to be up, but you all wanted it, so what the heck. Here it is. Let me tell you, this took a while to fine-tune. Kaneki and Ozpin are both tricky devils to write, but I think I did okay. The next chapter WILL take longer though. Even longer than this one did. That is a promise.**

 **Now, gotta observe the niceties before I start, so…*checks comments***

 ***stares***

 **Wow. Okay. This has gotta be the most comments I've gotten on any one chapter since...dang. Since the end of my very first story. I'm touched, truly I am. Don't worry, I will address all of you wonderful people in…**

 **COMMENT REVIEW TIME!**

 **Kuro the Accursed: More like Kuro the First, amiright? *silence* Okay, that was bad, I admit it. As for the idea of this story, I actually got it from another crossover for some different fandoms, where the main character, for reasons outside their control, attacked the other main characters. This sets up obstacles for them to overcome and, in my opinion, makes things a bit more dynamic. Thank you for your words of praise!**

 **Xavier Rall: Thank you very much. I saw that pretty much every 'Kaneki in Remnant' story in this group started out with friendly encounters. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but why not mix things up?**

 **eduardocev123: Well, here it is. Sorry for the wait.**

 **Guest: Thank you!**

 **rob: Here you go!**

 **.72: RWBY is an amazing show once you get into it. Maybe this will encourage you to watch more? Word of warning, if you don't, nothing that happens in the future of this story is gonna make sense. Also, glad you liked it!**

 **Raygha Raikouga: Nope. Black haired Kaneki was a snugglemuffin. White haired Kaneki is a badass. Never forget that.**

 **Itharax: You know what? I will. Thank you for the wonderful words, friend!**

 **BBWulf: Nuh uh! It says he swallowed it all before he even hit the ground, remember?...In all honesty, though, full strength Kaneki could take down at least one of them.**

 **Creus: Heck yeah. The question is, can I** _ **keep**_ **your interest? I'll try my best!**

 **TheHokageNaruto: Sorry it took so long, I am** _ **really**_ **not used to writing anything more than 2000 words.**

 **Le MAO XVII: True that. Kaneki's life couldn't suck harder if his name was NooNoo and he lived with the Teletubbies. But let us not forget who the real villain is-Dr. Kanou. Always. And as much as I love that line, I already had the scene written out when you commented and it just doesn't fit. Sorry! Glad you liked it, though!**

 **Ciel-Phantomhive13: Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

 **Uchu no akuma no kami: Thank you!**

 **AlterMi: Pick up your jaw, friend. There is still plenty left to happen…**

 **rkhotwheels: Thanks! And sure thing!**

 **Random12345: Really? Thanks! I will try my hardest not to let you down!**

 **PersonaInsane: Someone finally compliments my grammar...I'm literally crying happy tears right now. Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **Mysterious Red: Ah, but you see, that is not a failing memory. The manga has a different story then the second anime season (and, honestly, a much better one-no 'I'm joining Aogiri'). And thanks! Yeah, he wasn't gonna win that. I love my little Snugglemuffin, but I know what he can and can't do, and what he can't do is take on four huntresses in training (good ones, too) with a busted stomach and broken ribs.**

 **See? Look at that. That's like nineteen comments. In one chapter! That's awesome! Comments keep me alive, remember that. This is probably a record for comments in the first chapter of any of my stories. Or on any of the chapters of any of my stories. Plus, this is my first story-EVER-to go into triple digit follows! You guys are all amazing!**

 **Before I start, just a few more things. I'd like to thank the people that looked this over-namely, With Death Comes More Death, who was a HUGE help in writing this. He turns to me for grammar, but when I need advie on how to spin a scene, Death is the guy. Go check out his story,** _ **Tokyo Ghoul: Remnant**_ **and** _ **TG: Prism**_ **next time you have a reading slump. It's also TG RWBY, but a bit different, and amazing.**

 **Also, a warning. This chapter is not nearly as action packed as the last one. It is very talky. So if you came here for more action, you are going to be disappointed. Sorry.**

 **I don't own either fandom, by the way. I think I said that earlier, but just to make sure. Got that? Okay.**

 **Now then, LET THE STORY BEGIN!**

* * *

Kaneki sighed. He'd suspected that his captors might start with questions. Staying silent, he walked back across the room and sat down heavily on the bed.

The man didn't follow him, opting to stay where he was. "I'm glad to see you're awake," he said. His voice was stern, but not unkind. It reminded Kaneki of the first time he'd spoken to Yoshimura at Anteiku. "You've been unconscious since yesterday afternoon."

Kaneki froze, shocked, although he was careful not to make it obvious. _Since yesterday?_ His shock quickly turned to anger. _Dammit! Why was I out for so long? Anteiku could be destroyed by now!_

"My name is Ozpin." The man's voice jolted Kaneki from his panic. "Do you have a name, young man?"

Despite his steadily decreasing hysteria, Kaneki didn't answer. Let this man ask all the questions he liked. Until he knew who wanted to know these things and why, he wouldn't say anything that could be used against him.

The older man didn't seem surprised at the half-ghoul's silence. "Alright then," he said calmly. "How about this, then: what exactly _are_ you?"

The question shouldn't have been such a shock to Kaneki; after all, no one else he'd met had recognized him as a ghoul. However, they had all been teens. Here was a person with years on their side who _still_ didn't recognize a ghoul. He couldn't help but be surprised.

Not surprised enough to answer, though.

Ozpin sighed. "This won't get me anywhere, will it?" he said, half to himself, half to Kaneki. Pulling up a nearby chair, he sat down, taking another sip of his coffee. "How about this—for every question you answer, I'll answer one of your's. I'm sure you have at least one right now."

Kaneki thought that over for a while. Loathe as he was to admit it, he was in desperate need of answers. Too many things didn't make sense to him, and anyway, it would be foolish to pass up an opportunity for information. If worst came to worse, he could just remain silent.

Finally, he nodded. _It's not like I have much to lose, so long as I'm careful with how much I give away. And this way, I can figure out what's going on._

Ozpin seemed pleased. "Excellent. Now, what is your name?"

Kaneki thought this over carefully. Would it be acceptable to give away his real name? He seemed to remember Arima calling him Kaneki, so he was fairly certain that the CCG had made some sort of connection already. However, the less people that could link him with the timid, black-haired human boy, the better. "Eyepatch," he answered finally, absentmindedly rubbing his chin.

Ozpin pondered that answer for a bit. "I suppose that will do for now," he said, somewhat grudgingly. It was obvious he knew he was being lied to, but for whatever reason, he didn't seem like he was going to press the issue.

Kaneki was ready with his question. "Where am I?" he asked.

The older man didn't hesitate; clearly, the answer was no secret. "You're in the infirmary at Beacon Academy," he said. "Thankfully, it's only just the start of the year, so we've had little use for it so far. In fact—" he tilted his head, as if pondering something, "—you're only the second person to have been here this year."

Kaneki quickly ran through all of the universities he knew of. Beacon wasn't anywhere on the list. "Where is that?" he said, before realizing he had asked his second question. He cursed internally.

Ozpin answered readily enough. "Vale," he said simply, before diving into his next question without hesitation. "What exactly _are_ you, Eyepatch?"

It was a minute before Kaneki heard the question—he'd been struggling to remember any place called Vale in Japan. When none came to mind, he realized it was entirely possible that he _wasn't_ in Japan anymore, although how he ended up leaving the country, he had no idea. Not to mention that he understood everyone perfectly. He would have thought further, but the question derailed his train of thought.

How to explain? Kaneki wasn't sure. Ghouls were such a common concept in Japan that the idea of someone _not_ knowing what they were was unheard of. Eventually, he decided for the most obvious answer. "A ghoul," he said quietly. He saw no reason to go into specifics and say 'half-ghoul'; the human part of him hardly mattered, not after the things he'd done. At this point, he was more ghoul than human anyway.

He expected some form of recognition, now that he'd openly admitted it. However, the man seemed to hardly care. Actually, Kaneki realized, that wasn't quite right. He looked...curious. "I hope you don't think me rude for asking so, but what _is_ a ghoul?"

Kaneki blinked, his suspicions confirmed. _He definitely doesn't know what a ghoul is, then. What does that mean, though? Am I in another country? One without ghouls? Are there even any countries without ghouls? And even if there are, how did I get out of Japan? How did I end up in that tree?_

Ozpin seemed to take Kaneki's pause as a refusal to answer. "You see, four of my new students came back today, talking about a monster they fought in the woods. Not a Grimm, but a boy with a hole in his stomach and mismatched eyes. A boy who couldn't be cut with a regular blade, but was easily injured by a Dust-enhanced sword. A boy who was able to heal at inhuman speeds." He eyed Kaneki's stomach and arm, void of both bandages and wounds, or even so much as scars. "A boy who, even when heavily injured, fought on par with some of the most talented youth Vale has to offer, despite being unable to access his Aura—with only his hands and the mysterious red blades on his back."

In an instant, the older man's eyes flashed dangerously. While his tone stayed the same, Kaneki could sense the barely contained hostility—no, _protectiveness,_ in his words. "A boy that ate human flesh...and seemed to enjoy it. Of course, I might not have believed them—if it hadn't been for the bite wound on Miss Belladonna's shoulder. A bite wound that will no doubt scar her for the rest of her life." He locked eyes with Kaneki, fixing him with an unblinking gaze, pinning him under it like a bug in a display case. "I don't appreciate my students being attacked, Eyepatch. So I'm afraid I'll have to ask again—what exactly _is_ a ghoul?"

Kaneki didn't show it, but he was taken aback by the man's sudden change in demeanor. Although there had been no physical change, everything, from his voice to his posture, had taken a dangerous edge. It was...unsettling.

Kaneki took a deep breath to calm his nerves and spoke, rattling off a description he'd learned when he was younger. "A ghoul is something that looks, thinks, and acts like a human, but can only sustain itself on two things—other ghouls, and human flesh."

He meant to continue, but Ozpin cut him off. "You can't eat anything else?" His tone wasn't accusatory or pleading, and had lost its edge. Now, it was just as politely curious as it had started.

Kaneki shook his head. "Ghouls can't digest human food. They either throw it up, or it poisons them. I can drink water like anyone else, and coffee as well, but I can't live on those alone." His knuckle _cracked_ before he even realized he'd pressed down on it. "I know it might sound horrible to you, but I don't have a choice in the matter. It's that or starve."

Ozpin tilted his head slightly. "Is that why you attacked my students?"

Kaneki nodded. "I was hurt. Ghouls need food to heal, just like humans, and we tend to be...unreasonable when we're hungry." He shifted his gaze to the floor, suddenly uncomfortable meeting the older man's eyes. "It wasn't personal. It's just...Ghouls rarely _die_ from starvation, because once a starving ghoul is near anyone, even their best friend..."

A vision flitted quickly through his mind. Sunny blonde hair and a cheery smile to match, a friendly hand on his shoulder. _I already knew._

He lifted his head and met Ozpin's gaze again, coldly steady. "Well, let's just say they aren't starving afterwards."

Was it his imagination, or had Ozpin's expression become almost sympathetic? "I interrupted your description earlier. I'm sorry about that. Please, continue."

Kaneki started slightly, surprised that _that_ was what the older man was thinking. It took a few seconds of flustered silence for him to remember where he had been interrupted, but once he did, he dove right back into his description. "The two visible discerning features of a ghoul are its kakugan—" he tapped just underneath his left eye, allowing it to bleed black and red for a short second, "—and its kagune." He cracked a wry grin. "I could show you that, too, but I doubt you'd be very comfortable with it."

Ozpin didn't so much as blink, although he might have gripped his coffee mug just a little bit tighter. "Show me." His tone, still as calm as ever, made it clear it was not a request.

Kaneki pondered whether or not he should refuse. On one hand, showing his kagune to someone who knew nothing of ghouls seemed like a waste of an advantage. Even though he'd known of a ghoul's kagune as a child, it still hadn't prepared him for the first time he'd seen one—the night Rize attacked. On the other hand, there were already four people who had seen and fought against his kagune, which was more than enough to accurately describe what it was capable of. Besides, for the present, staying in his captor's good graces might be the best move he could make.

 _Alright. I'll show him. But not all of it. Maybe just two?_ Kaneki hadn't gotten into the habit of summoning less kagune then he was comfortably capable of, and even when he had first used it, there had still been three protrusions. However, he was confident that he would be able to use it halfway.

Concentrating, but not showing a single outward change, Kaneki activated his kagune, allowing two scaled, scarlet lashes to peel away from his body. He looked at Ozpin pointedly, remembering, at the last second, that his left eye's kakugan must have activated. "Satisfied?" The tendrils twitched idly.

Ozpin blinked, stunned for just a fraction of a second. "Interesting…" He muttered. "And how versatile are they, exactly?"

Kaneki opened his mouth part way to answer, but just as quickly shut it. Now that he thought about it, he had never really used his kagune for anything other than fighting. How much control over it did he _really_ have?

Almost experimentally, Kaneki used a single tentacle to reach over to the bedside table. He concentrated and, in one smooth flicking motion, scooped up the water glass. Or rather, he _tried_ to scoop up the water glass. He ended up putting too much force into the action, which launched the glass across the room. It hurtled past Ozpin, struck the opposite wall, and shattered, spraying shards of broken glass. The older man raised an eyebrow.

Kaneki scratched the back of his head, somewhat sheepish. "Sorry," he said, allowing the two tendrils to evaporate in twin clouds of red smoke.

Ozpin stared a moment longer, then shook his head. To Kaneki's surprise, the edges of his mouth had tugged up—not a smile, by any definition, but less of a frown then he'd had earlier. "Quite all right. I take it they're better suited to fighting then menial tasks."

Kaneki found himself on the verge of smiling, although he managed to hide it. "That's not entirely true; that's just all I've ever used them for."

Ozpin nodded. "I see."

There was thick silence for about ten seconds. Kaneki patiently waited for the older man to continue talking, but after a while, Ozpin simply dipped his head in indication. " I realize I've asked more than my fair share of questions without giving you any answers, Eyepatch. Please, ask whatever you like."

Kaneki blinked, caught off guard by the older man's response. _He's waiting for my question...Still? He'd let me ask after having this all dropped on him so suddenly?_ Despite his surprise, it took him only a second or two to think of his question. "What country is this?" he asked.

Ozpin blinked. "...Remnant."

Kaneki froze, running through the information several times in his head. Each time, he came to the same conclusion. Although he didn't consider himself a genius by any means, the fact remained that Kaneki couldn't remember any countries called Remnant. It _could_ just be that he hadn't paid close enough attention in his classes, but he doubted he'd forget a place with such a unique name.

"Japan…" It took his a moment to realize that the faint word had come from his own mouth. Kaneki cleared his throat and spoke again. "How far away is that from Japan?"

For the first time in the conversation, Ozpin looked truly confused. "Japan? I've never heard of it."

Kaneki's blood froze solid in his veins. His thoughts ran in circles, fast and frantic like a mob of frightened people. _That...that doesn't make sense! I know Japan isn't a superpower like the United States, but he still should have heard of it! Is it possible he's too old and his memory's going? That_ would _explain why he doesn't know about ghouls, but that doesn't add up with his job and the way that woman treated him. So why…?_

Something suddenly clicked, and he shot Ozpin a suspicious and somewhat desperate look. "But you're speaking Japanese right now!" He said accusingly.

Ozpin furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry, Eyepatch, but I think you have it mixed up. _You're_ the one who doesn't realize what language you're speaking."

If someone had smashed him over the head with a steel pipe, Kaneki could not have been more stunned. He opened and shut his mouth once or twice, then quietly cleared his throat and spoke, almost hesitantly. "I am?"

He recoiled almost instantly, lifting a hand halfway to his mouth on a reflex. The words that came from his mouth were definitely _not_ Japanese.

 _What the_ _ **fuck?**_

Kaneki spoke again, focusing completely on his words. _"I...speak…"_ Noticing Ozpin's confused expression and hearing the familiar language come from his mouth, he spoke faster, emboldened. _"I speak_ Japanese."

The last word struck him like a block of ice. He spoke again, slightly faster, concentrating. _"I speak Japanese. I'm from_ Japan. _I_ don't know _any_ other _languages!"_ His words came even faster, taking on a hysterical edge. _"I don't! I don't!_ I don't!" The last sentence came out at almost a scream.

"Eyepatch!" Ozpin spoke harshly. "Calm down!"

Kaneki abruptly closed his mouth. He was trembling all over, and there was a faint ringing in his ears. His panic upon waking up in the tree, his panic at realizing he'd been unconscious for a day—they paled in comparison to the sheer hysteria he was feeling now. He looked at Ozpin, eyes wide and desperate. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and shaky, the voice of someone who was on the verge of breaking.

"What the hell happened to me?"

For the longest time, Ozpin stayed quiet. His eyes were dark and troubled. When he finally did speak, Kaneki nearly jumped—the silence had become so thick that he hadn't expected an answer.

"Eyepatch, there are many mysteries in this world. Things that neither you nor I could explain, even if we searched our whole lives. But at the moment, one thing is clear to me—you do not belong in Remnant. Your place is somewhere else."

Ozpin spoke matter-of-factly, tone completely serious, but that made what he was saying all the more ridiculous. Kaneki barely managed to bite back a hopeless giggle. "What are you saying, then?" he asked. "That I was somehow...transported here? To another world?" He shook his head. "And you expect me to just believe that?"

Ozpin tilted his head. "Well, how would you like me to prove it to you?"

Anything Kaneki might have said in reply died in his throat at the older man's statement. It wasn't sarcastic or cynical—as far as he could tell, Ozpin actually wanted to prove it to him. Unfortunately, Kaneki had no idea _how_ he could prove it.

There was a pause, during which Ozpin idly opened a nearby drawer and removed something—a vaccination needle. "You know, Eyepatch, the medical team said that they couldn't pierce your skin, no matter what they tried. Aura would normally explain that, but I've never met a person who could keep their Aura active while unconscious, or in the condition you were in. Maybe you could shed some light on that?"

Kaneki thought that it was an odd change of topic, but answered the older man's question nonetheless. Having something to do, even answering an easy question, seemed like the only way to calm down at the moment. "Ghouls can't be cut by normal means or weapons," he said, voice shaking slightly. "Knives, needles, scalpels—they all bounce off or break." He quickly followed up with a question of his own, more to distract himself then to sate his own curiosity. "I keep hearing that word used—Aura. What is it?"

Ozpin looked confused for a moment, but then made a small noise of understanding. "Aura is the utilization of one's soul for defense," he said. "It's a skill that almost all beings in Remnant can use—humans, even animals." He took the needle and pressed it against his hand. Although Kaneki could clearly see he was making an effort, the needle wouldn't sink in, held at bay by an invisible barrier. _Just like the one on Ruby._

"This ability has its limits, and must be consciously held up." For a brief moment, Ozpin's hand shimmered, glowing with a dappled light similar to the sun underwater. As soon as the light died, the needle sunk into the older man's hand. Blood beaded around the wound. Unperturbed, he withdrew the needle and placed it on the counter. "It can also be used to heal minor wounds." He wiped away the blood with a finger—when it was gone, Kaneki saw that the hole had vanished.

Kaneki stared. Even with the evidence right in front of him, it was difficult to process what Ozpin was saying. _I'd think he was a ghoul, if it wasn't for being able to turn it off. I've never seen anything like this before. Could he actually be telling the truth? Am I in another world?_

"You're still not quite sure, are you?" Despite his phrasing, there was nothing questioning about Ozpin's statement. "Let me ask you this, then—do you have anything like this academy in your world? Places where boys and girls hardly into adulthood are trained to fight?"

After a moment of brief hesitation, Kaneki shook his head. _I wonder, though. Training them to fight, giving them weapons...Is this school a school for training soldiers?_

"And, where you're from, ghouls are common, aren't they? Most people have heard of them?"

Kaneki, abruptly pulled from his thoughts, nodded quickly.

"Therefore," Ozpin said, and this time, there was something almost triumphant in his voice. "Assuming that you are of sound mind, and nothing in our conversation has led me to think otherwise, we can safely determine, using the information from our conversation, that you, Eyepatch, are _not_ from Remnant." He seemed slightly pleased with himself. "It's as simple as that."

Kaneki pressed his fingers into his temples and clenched his eyes shut, groaning quietly. Things were happened a bit too fast for his liking. _If only it_ were _that simple. Even with everything he's said, and everything I saw, believing that I've ended up in another world is just…_

"I have a proposition for you, Eyepatch," Ozpin said suddenly.

Kaneki's eyes shot open. Lowering his hands, he met Ozpin's gaze. "You see," he said calmly, "despite everything we've discussed, you _did_ severely injure one of my students, and attempt to do the same to three more. Common sense would dictate that I have the authorities take you away."

Kaneki felt a dull pang of shock, although he knew he shouldn't have been surprised. _I knew this was coming. If there wasn't a catch, he wouldn't have bothered to keep me alive. Question is, what is he going to have me do?_ "But you're going to give me a choice, aren't you?" Kaneki said, just a little more harshly than he meant to.

Ozpin nodded. "You catch on quickly, Eyepatch. Don't worry. I don't think you'll have a problem with this offer." Taking one more sip from his coffee mug, he set it down, leaned forward, and templed his fingers, gazing at Kaneki intently. "I want you to stay here, at Beacon, for as long as I see fit."

Whatever Kaneki had been expecting, that wasn't it. He started slightly, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "That's all?" He asked incredulously.

Ozpin nodded. "Obviously, I don't want you staying only to keep my peace of mind. You can attend classes, sleep in the dorms, and even train with the other students, so long as you stay with the group I assign to watch you." The older man straightened back up in his seat. "In return, I will make sure that your secret stays safe. I'll even provide you with food." Even though he didn't smile, there was something in the edge of Ozpin's mouth that betrayed his amusement. "I doubt you'll be able to find a better deal than that, Eyepatch."

Kaneki tilted his head, curious and just a little frustrated. "You want me to attend classes here, even though you know full well I tried to kill four of your students?" When Ozpin didn't object, he chuckled, a low, dark rumble at the back of his throat. "Forgive me for saying so, but that doesn't seem like a very sound teaching practice."

Ozpin picked up his coffee mug again. "Maybe not," he mused, idly swirling the contents. "However, first impressions aren't always the best way to judge a person. I know a man who, at first glance, would seem like nothing more than a childish drunk. But once you get to know him, you see that that's far from the truth." He took a sip. "Would I be safe in assuming that there's more to you then a bloodthirsty monster, Eyepatch?"

Kaneki opened his mouth halfway to answer, but just as quickly shut it again. A moment passed. Then two. Every time he tried to speak, Kaneki ended up staying quiet. Finally, he cleared his throat, perhaps harder than he needed to. "I don't know," he said quietly.

Ozpin blinked. Just as when Kaneki had shown him his kagune, he seemed at a momentary loss for words. However, he recovered quickly. "Well, I consider myself a decent judge of character, Eyepatch," he said smoothly. "And I think there is. Do you accept my offer?"

Kaneki thought it over. _I can't say I'm entirely okay with staying here,_ he thought. _If I have ended up in another world, then finding a way back to Tokyo should be my top priority. And if I'm the only ghoul here, then that means no investigators to hunt me down..._ He suddenly remembered the four girls, and how well they had done against him. _If teenagers can fight that well, I'd hate to see what trained professionals can do. And if this man really is a headmaster like that woman said, he must have some authority. If I didn't kill him first, he could have a bounty on me before I could get far._ He realized something else. _Wait, that woman...he told her to wait outside. If I tried to kill him, she'd hear._

Kaneki growled. _Dammit! I don't think I have a lot of options right now. Staying here might be the best thing I can do, at least for a while._ Mind made up, Kaneki looked back to the older man in front of him. "Alright," he said steadily. "I'll stay here."

Ozpin smiled, the first one Kaneki had seen through their entire conversation. "Excellent," he said, rising from his seat. Kaneki made to follow, but he was waved down. "You stay here, Eyepatch. I'll make the necessary arrangements, and bring the group that will be watching you." He started towards the door. "I'll be back in a little while. I promise, you've made a good choice."

 _I hope so._

Steps away from the door, Ozpin paused. "I'm sorry, but I do have one more question."

There was a pause. "Yes?" Kaneki asked. Despite everything that had already happened, for some reason, he had a bad feeling in his stomach.

"The medical team reported everything to me while you were unconscious. According to them, you kept muttering something in your sleep."

Kaneki's heart skipped a beat. _Dammit, tell me it's not—_

"'What's one thousand minus seven?' That's what they told me you said. You'd say that, start counting down by sevens, and then start all over again once you reached zero." Ozpin's voice was light and amicable; he might as well have been inquiring about the weather. "Tell me, what's so important about that phrase that you'd repeat it so much?"

Even now, after all this time, the phrase still sent a faint chill through Kaneki's blood. Shifting his gaze to the floor, he folded his thumb over his index finger and pressed down. The resulting _crack_ echoed through the room, sharp and sudden as a gunshot. "I don't know," he said, resting his chin in his hand absentmindedly. "I don't remember ever hearing anything like that."

There were a few seconds of silence. Kaneki felt certain that Ozpin would call him out on his lie, but after a moment, the older man nodded. "Very well," he said simply. He opened the door, revealing the woman from before. She glared intently at Ozpin as he stepped through the door and shut it behind him, leaving Kaneki alone.

The white-haired half ghoul waited a few moments, listening intently. When he was sure that Ozpin and the woman were truly gone, he heaved out a sigh and pressed his hands over his face.

 _That's it, then. I'm trapped here, in some other world, for a while. Or maybe even forever._ He clenched his hands, digging his nails into his face so hard he drew blood. It trickled down his cheek, warm and wet. _Touka, Hinami, Manager...I don't know what happened to any of them. And I may never know._

A noise worked its way free of his throat, almost on its own—a sob. Letting go of his face, he stared down at his hands. There was no blood on them—but they were still wet, glistening faintly with tears.

That was when it hit him, all the emotions he had kept bottled up during his talk with Ozpin. Confusion, fear, anger, and overwhelming despair—they all bubbled up in his chest, overflowing like a flooding river, drowning him from the inside. Pressing his hands back over his eyes, Kaneki finally let his stoic facade shatter, and cried.

* * *

By the time Ozpin returned, Kaneki had accomplished two things. First of all, he managed to get his emotions in check. It hadn't been easy, and he was definitely going to need to sort out how he felt later; but for the moment, he was stable.

Secondly, after a few minutes of searching through cabinets and drawers, he found something he knew he would need-a container of medical eyepatches. Putting one on didn't do much, but the familiar action comforted him, just a little.

Just as Kaneki sat back down on the cot, the door to the room opened, and Ozpin stepped back inside. "Follow me, Eyepatch," he said calmly. If he noticed the small white eyepatch tied over Kaneki's eye, he didn't show it.

Kaneki stood up and followed Ozpin out the door. He wasn't feeling much, at the moment-the effort he had gone through to hide how he was feeling had left him with a dull, cold hollow in his chest. However, the instant he saw who was waiting for him in the hall outside the infirmary, a jolt of shock coursed through him, as strong as a lightning bolt.

Red, white, black, yellow, dressed in matching blazers and plaid skirts. He only registered the colors at first-he couldn't be sure why, maybe it was the shock of it all. But after only a second, it became awfully, uncomfortably apparent who he was looking at. He stopped in his tracks, staring with his one free eye.

The four girls were clearly just as surprised as he was. Within moments of him entering the room, the blonde locked eyes with him, tensed, scowled furiously, and shouldered her way to the front of the group. The remaining three—Ruby, Weiss, and Blake—stopped in their tracks, seemingly stunned in shock. He couldn't help but notice two things—that the blonde had placed herself almost directly in front of Blake, or the thick swathe of white bandages wrapped around the black-haired girl's shoulder.

Ozpin stopped, halfway between the group of girls and Kaneki. The white-haired half-ghoul wondered, for a fleeting moment, if the older man was enjoying this. Surely, he had to be-no one could be this sadistic unintentionally. "Girls," Ozpin said, "this is Eyepatch."

The four stared at him. There were one, two, three seconds of silence. "We've already met, Professor," Blake said. Her voice was as sharp and dry as a papercut.

Ozpin nodded once, then shifted his gaze to Kaneki. "Eyepatch. This is Ruby Rose—" Ruby waved halfheartedly, "—Weiss Schnee—" Weiss glared at him through narrowed eyes, "—Blake Belladonna—" Blake tensed and fixed her gaze on something just past Kaneki's shoulder, "—and Yang Xiao Long." The blonde, finally identified, scowled. "These four will be watching you throughout your stay at Beacon."

Kaneki flinched, eyes widening in shock. _Them? I mean, I suspected, but..._ _ **them?**_

The group was clearly as unhappy about it as he was. "Professor Ozpin, with all due respect—" Weiss began.

Yang cut her off. "Screw respect!" She snarled savagely. "Professor, I know you usually make good choices, but there's no way I'm watching this...this…" She made a few angry, sputtering noises before finally spitting, " _Him!_ " She glared at Kaneki like she was trying to burn a hole through his chest. "And there's even less of a way that I'm letting him anywhere near Ruby!"

"I'm not a baby, Yang," Ruby muttered under her breath. "And I had to save _you_ from him."

Ozpin didn't budge. "I understand how you must be feeling," he said patiently. "You have every right to feel that way. However, you don't know the whole story."

Weiss crossed her arms. "Professor, almost everyone has something tragic in their past. That doesn't give you the right to attack people like this!" She waved a hand at Blake's shoulder. "Look at this! This isn't something you do because of a troubled childhood!"

Ozpin opened his mouth again, no doubt to explain, but before he could get out so much as a single word-

"I'm sorry."

Silence fell over the room like a mudslide, sudden and completely smothering. Everyone, the four girls as well as Ozpin, turned to face Kaneki, staring.

Kaneki cleared his throat quietly before speaking again. "I know it doesn't mean anything to any of you, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry." He looked at the group steadily. "I had my own reasons for doing what I did, but Weiss is right; that doesn't make it acceptable. You don't have to accept it, and you don't have to believe it. I just want to say it anyway. I'm sorry."

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake all appeared various degrees of taken aback and uncomfortable. Yang however, was on him in two steps. "Listen here, you," she growled, grabbing him roughly by the front of his shirt and hefting him off his feet. To his surprise, her eyes, which he was positive had started out lavender, were a bright and angry red. "That doesn't mean jack to me. You hurt my partner, and you tried to hurt Ruby." She removed a hand from his shirt and cocked back a fist. "I don't care what Ozpin says. I oughta—"

"Miss Xiao Long, that's enough," Ozpin said.

Yang scowled viciously, eyes fading back to purple. Slowly, as if doing so caused her actual pain, she released her hold on Kaneki's shirt. He hit the ground with a _thump._ Huffing angrily, the blonde turned on her heel and made her way back to the group.

"The four of you, come with me." Ozpin gestured to the four girls, then walked past Kaneki and stepped back into the infirmary. "Eyepatch, you stay here."

Kaneki raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. _I get the feeling he's going to be repeating a lot of what I told him. Saves me the trouble of having to explain anything later, I suppose._

He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by something hard colliding with his shoulder. He staggered to the side, leaning against the wall to avoid falling to the floor. Blinking in shock, he looked up just in time to see Yang stomp into the infirmary. Grabbing the door with a white-knuckled hand, she turned around, shot Kaneki a glare dripping with venom, and slammed the door shut with a _bang_ that shook the walls.

Kaneki stared at the now-closed door, feeling vaguely as if someone had emptied a bucket of water over his head.

 _Well, I guess I deserved that._


	3. Golden Sapling, Planted in Ashes

**Hello, everyone! Merry Late Christmas! Happy Holidays! I hope you all had a nice time. As a late present to all you wonderful people, here it is! The next chapter!**

 **So, you guys know With Death Comes More Death, right? The author of that great little fanfic, Tokyo Ghoul: Remnant? Well, he has formally accepted me as a threat to his crown as 'God King' of the TG/RWBY section. It's war, people! Choose your side! Pick your story! Prepare to read! Hoo-hah!**

 **...I, uh, don't really have much else to say here, so I'll just cut to...COMMENT REVIEW TIME!**

 **rkhotwheels: Glad you liked it!**

 **Itharax: Oh, you** _ **know**_ **they're not gonna treat him nice. Glad you liked it!**

 **LostSoulWeeping: Glad you liked it! (And sorry about the wait). To answer your question, I've read the manga, watched most of the anime (although I know how it ends) and occasionally use the wiki for reference.**

 **Ciel-Phantomhive 13: Glad you liked it! And fluff it. Always fluff it.**

 **With Death Comes More Death: So help me, 'king' I will take that crown from your head and laugh as you choke on this hastily spoken challenge. This means war! (I'm looking forward to this, buddy). As for the actual review, thanks! For both the praise, and the advice.**

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 **0: Possibly? Blake has been pretty on edge around him, although that may just be the chunk he took from her shoulder. I'll leave you to decide.**

 **superwirrter ik super chessy: Once upon a time, I could say that seemed out of character. However, now it is canon -_- You know what, keep reading, and I will consider it.**

 **Sneky: You're missing out, man. But that's your call. Also, yes, although there's more to it than that.**

 **Jimmy Neutron: Glad you liked it! But, it my defense, Hinami and Banjou are his friends. He's not gonna be as gentle to the people he hardly knows, as it is show he can be downright evil to strangers or people he doesn't like (case in point: Kanou).**

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 **Big shout out to all the wonderful commenters! And the biggest shout out to With Death Comes More Death, who looked this over and helped it happen. You rock, man.**

 **Now, then...LET THE STORY BEGIN!**

* * *

Kaneki couldn't say for certain how long he waited outside the infirmary door, although it had definitely been a while. He had no way to mark the passing of time: there were no windows, no clocks, and the only sound he could make out from the other room was Ozpin's voice, too low to be properly audible. He had no idea what the older man was saying—however, from time to time, one of the girls would interject, and they were _much_ louder.

"He eats _what?!_ "

Kaneki winced slightly at the newest outburst. He was used to the disgust leveled at ghouls; the investigators at the CCG were dripping with it. But this was different. With the ghoul investigators, it was a familiar type of disgust; hearing someone sound so shocked made it worse, somehow. Tuning out the rest of that line of discussion, Kaneki turned his attention back to the task at hand—his own thoughts.

These thoughts were, simply put, a mess. Kaneki had been puzzling over it for a long time, and yet he could not for the life of him figure out why Ozpin would set this group to watch over him. A school that had its own infirmary had to be decently large; surely there were other groups that could keep an eye on him. _He must know how uncomfortable this is going to make them. So why them?_

And he didn't even want to begin to start on where he was. The idea of ending up in another world was so utterly ridiculous he could hardly wrap his head around him. Part of him was convinced that he was dreaming; another part was sure that he was dead, and this was some cruel god's idea of a creative hell, just for him.

And yet a third, tiny part of Kaneki believed he really _was_ in another world. He had no business being unconscious long enough to dream; Arima would have killed him the instant he fell. And he couldn't help but feel that, if he was in hell, it wasn't as bad as it could, or should, be.

Still, the fact didn't change that, even if he _wasn't_ in some other world, he was completely isolated from everyone and everything he knew. Getting back to Japan needed to be his top priority. _If I_ can _get back, that is._

He crushed that line of thought the instant it entered his head. _If I start thinking like that, I'll end up insane. I_ will _get back._ He grit his teeth. _I have to._

The door to the infirmary opened, abruptly derailing Kaneki's train of thought. The four girls filed out, Ozpin close behind them. Ruby, who was in the front, looked at him. Her eyes, which had started out nervous and just a touch disgusted, had changed. Although still cautious, now they were filled with mixed resolve and pity: she looked like someone who had stumbled across a starving animal caught in a trap that she was determined to free, no matter what.

She was the only one in the group that showed any positive change of heart, however. The rest of the girls were just as on edge as before. If anything, Yang looked even more disgusted. She glanced from him to Blake's shoulder and back again, mouth twisting sourly.

Ozpin shut the infirmary door. The _click_ it made was almost deafening. "Now that that's sorted out," he said, sounding as if he had just finished explaining something to a small child, "why don't you four show Eyepatch to your dormitory? I'll have a spare mattress sent as soon as possible."

There was a brief stretch of silence so thick, Kaneki could have chewed it. Yang huffed angrily. Ruby scratched the back of her head. Finally, Weiss spoke up. "Yes, sir," she grumbled.

She, along with the other three girls, headed for the door. Yang glared at him as he passed, and Ruby shot him an almost sympathetic look; however, the other two ignored him.

Kaneki made to follow him, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He flinched, twisting around quickly, only to see that it was Ozpin. "One moment, Eyepatch," he said. "Girls, please wait outside."

None of the girls protested. Once they had left, and the door clicked shut, Ozpin spoke. "How much did you hear?" He asked bluntly.

Kaneki shook his head. "Not much," he answered truthfully. "I take it you told them what I told you."

Ozpin nodded. "It's best not to keep secrets from them, at least regarding this," he said gravely. "However, I've instructed them not to tell the other students. I'd like you to do the same. That means not using your...I believe you called it a kagune?" When Kaneki nodded, he continued. "Not using your kagune unless it's an emergency."

Kaneki mulled that over for a moment. It made sense: most school principals wouldn't want the knowledge that there was a cannibalistic creature on campus to spread. There'd be panic, chaos... _maybe even an angry mob. Even if there wasn't, it would hardly create a good learning environment._

"That isn't all I left out," Ozpin continued. Kaneki looked at him. "I didn't tell them where you were from."

He said that as if he expected some kind of negative response, but in all honesty, Kaneki could have cared less. "I take it you don't want me to tell them that, either?" He said.

Ozpin remained impassive. "They are still young, after all. I figured that one piece of astonishing news was more than enough for one day." He took a long sip of his coffee before speaking again. "However, if you _would_ like to tell them, I have no objections." He fixed Kaneki with the same piercing gaze as earlier, the one that made him feel so small. "That's your choice, Eyepatch."

Kaneki looked away. "I'll be sure to think about it," he said steadily. Without another word, he turned around and let the room.

The four girls were waiting outside the room when he left, supposedly deep in conversation. As soon as Kaneki entered the hall, they fell quiet, shooting him furtive glances as he approached their circle.

When he reached them, he waited to see if they'd say anything. When none of them did, he quietly cleared his throat and spoke. "Lead the way," he said, mustering up his best attempt at a smile.

There was an awkward pause, before Ruby coughed loudly and returned his smile. "C'mon guys," she said, with somewhat forced cheerfulness. She took a few steps away from the group, turned, and waved an arm in a 'follow-me' gesture. "Let's go!"

* * *

The walk to the dormitory was not a comfortable one.

Kaneki managed to pick up a bit of the building's layout during the walk—it was large, with lots of long, cream-painted halls—but the rest of the trip was dedicated to watching his new...He wasn't sure what to call them. Acquaintances might have been the best term, although the word 'parole officers' kept poking into his mind like an unwanted mosquito.

The three older girls spent the walk in sullen, stone-faced silence. In all honesty, Kaneki found it slightly amusing—how three different people could be so different in the ways they chose to ignore him. Weiss was icy, walking with a near-imperceptible tightness in her shoulders and neatly balled fists, refusing to give any indication that she knew he was there. Blake was like a scared animal—giving Kaneki the widest berth she could, every muscle tense and on edge, constantly glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Yang gave off an almost tangible heat, moving with angry, heavy footsteps and fists so tightly clenched that Kaneki was surprised she hadn't broken her fingers. However, even though each one was different, they shared the same apparent feeling—given their way, Kaneki would be far, far away from them.

However, the youngest among them was an entirely different story.

The silence had become uncomfortably thick before the small girl in red cleared her throat. "Sooo…" Ruby began, turning around to face him so that she ended up walking backwards. "You're a really good fighter, Eyepatch."

She sounded like someone grasping at topics to fill an awkward silence, but nonetheless Kaneki was amused. _I'll be seeing a lot of these four for the time being, so I might as well try to be polite._ He dipped his head slightly. "Thank you," he said.

His response seemed to embolden the younger girl. She crossed her arms behind her back, still walking backwards. "Where did you go to school?" She said curiously. "It must have been a tough place, to learn to fight like that."

Kaneki tilted his head. "I did go to school, but that isn't where I learned how to fight." The faintest twitch of a smile played at the corner of his mouth. "I just had a few excellent teachers." The smile quickly died as the faces of both Yomo and Touka swam to the surface of his mind.

"But you had a huge hole in your stomach!" Ruby exclaimed. She seemed to be building up steam the longer she talked. "And your chest was all messed up! But you were still all like—" she made a noise that one might hear in a bad action film and struck a pose, flailing her arms around as if swatting flies.

Kaneki regarded the young girl's antics with mixed amusement and confusion. He honestly wasn't sure what to make of her. She should have been terrified of him; he had attacked her first, and she had borne the brunt of whatever hysterical threats he might have made when lost in his hunger. And yet she didn't seem the least bit disturbed by his presence. _Is she really so determined to get on my good side?_ He wondered. _Or is she just stupid?_

Whatever the case, for the time being, he would humor her. "I've fought with worse," he said simply. "Besides—" he placed a hand over his stomach and lightly pressed, as if to prove that his hand wouldn't actually go through it, "—as you can see, that kind of injury isn't something that will slow me down for long."

There was a faint grumble from behind him, a grumble that almost sounded like the words, "Clearly not."

Kaneki chose to ignore that remark, and turned his attention back on Ruby. The girl in the red cloak saw this and dove back in with almost indecent enthusiasm. "Those things on your back you were using to fight were _so cool!"_ She said excitedly. "How'd you get 'em? Is it a weapon? Your Semblance? Dust?" She gasped and gripped her cheeks, looking like she was about to explode. _"Could you teach me how to do it?"_

Her tone seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back—or rather, Weiss's patience. "For Pete's sake, Ruby!" she exploded. "Stop acting like a child!"

Ruby flinched and shrank back, her shoulders drooping as she turned back around and faced the front. "Sorry," she muttered.

Weiss continued talking, either to herself or the group as a whole, Kaneki couldn't be sure. "This isn't a game," she fumed. "Ozpin gave us a responsibility. We're supposed to be watching him, not...not playing twenty questions with him!"

Kaneki snuck a glance over his shoulder. The white-haired girl's face had flushed an angry pink. Her eyes were wide, her nostrils flared, her teeth grit in frustration; however, as soon as he locked eyes with her, she looked away, hissing slightly through her teeth. Despite her anger, she clearly wasn't confident enough to stare him down.

The rest of the walk was spent in silence, which gave Kaneki plenty of time to fully grasp the awkwardness that permeated the air. _This is off to a great start._ In all honesty, though, he really hadn't expected anything different; doing so would have been extreme foolishness on his part. It wasn't as though they had been rude to each other, or even gotten in a normal fight. He had tried to _kill_ these girls; not just kill, but _eat_ as well. That wasn't something that one forgot overnight. That wasn't something a spoken apology could fix.

Truthfully, he should count himself lucky that Ruby was as willing to give him another chance as she was. In her shoes, he wouldn't have.

Just as the awkward silence became unbearable, Ruby dashed ahead of the group and skidded to a stop in front of a door. "We're here!" She announced, her earlier scolding apparently forgotten. She opened the door with a flourish. The rest of the group entered, Kaneki following behind.

The dorm room was...unusual, to say the least. The most obvious feature was the state of the beds: they were stacked two high on either end of the room, one suspended by ropes, the other precariously propped up on stacks of books. However, the rest was fairly comfortable—there were doors leading off to other areas, (perhaps a kitchen or living room?) a window covered with a ripped and hastily stitched set of curtains, and even a fully stocked bookshelf.

Ruby pranced into the center of the room, red cloak streaming behind her. "Ta-da!" She sing-songed. "Welcome to the official headquarters of Team RWBY!"

Kaneki passed the other three girls and followed after her, albeit much more calmly. "Team...RWBY?" He said, confused.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah! R-W-B-Y! RWBY!" She jerked a thumb towards her chest. "Led by your's truly!"

 _R, w, b—_ Realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. _Oh, I see. Their initials. And Ruby's the leader...That's actually pretty clever._

Ruby hurried around the room, pointing rapidly and chattering so fast that Kaneki actually had to make a serious effort to understand what she was saying. "The beds are over here, and this is the kitchen and the living room, and here's the bathroom, and if you look out here you can see all the way to the Emerald Forest, and—"

"We need to get back to class," Weiss interrupted. Her voice was as cold as an icicle.

Ruby shut her mouth so suddenly her teeth clicked. "O-oh, yeah," she stuttered. Her shoulders drooped. "I was hoping you forgot…"

Weiss placed her hands on her hips and shot her apparent leader a glare. "Our classes are important, Ruby," she huffed. "We've lost enough time as it is." She glanced at Kaneki. "Do we...take him with us, or…"

"You guys go back to class," Yang all but growled. "I'll show him around campus."

There was a moment of silence. Surprisingly, it was Blake who spoke up, for the first time since they had reached the dormitory. "Yang, are you—?"

"It's fine, Blake," Yang interrupted, waving a hand nonchalantly. "You guys better hurry, though. Don't want to miss the end of Professor Port's class."

Ruby alone looked like she might protest, but eventually she looked away and left the room, the other two following behind her.

Kaneki watched her go. He wasn't worried, per se, but he knew what was about to happen. _She didn't offer to show me around out of the kindness of her heart,_ he thought grimly. _Most likely, this is some sort of power play._

Sure enough, he turned around to find himself face to face with an angry Yang. He flinched slightly; they were so close their noses were almost touching.

"Let me get one thing straight." Her breath smelled like fire. "If I think for _one_ second that you're a threat to anyone on my team, _especially_ Ruby, I'll knock your teeth so far down your throat you'll have to swallow your food to chew it. Understand?"

Kaneki regarded the blonde in front of him with detached calm. _Well, did I really expect her to act any different? I tried to kill her teammates, after all. Although she seems particularly protective of Ruby._ "Of course," he said evenly. Despite their close proximity, he did not back away.

His calm response did nothing to satiate Yang; if anything, it seemed to make her madder. She pulled away, scowling. "C'mon," she said, stomping across the room and wrenching open the door. Without waiting to see if he was following, she left the room.

Kaneki waited a moment, sighed, and started after her. _If this is what I can expect while I'm here,_ he thought morosely, _I would have been better off trying to run._

* * *

It wasn't until Yang took him outside that Kaneki realized how _enormous_ Beacon Academy truly was. The building was less like a traditional school building and more like a castle: carved out of sturdy grey stone, covered with arches and tall, spiraling towers. The front of the school was largely filled with a cobblestone pavilion, lined with banners sewn of scarlet cloth. In the center of the pavilion was a large statue—two people, holding weapons, fighting what looked like a massive wolf on two legs.

The most startling thing, though, was the _moon._ It was still up, despite it clearly being daytime; and, more importantly, it was _shattered._ It looked at though some bird had pecked a hole in it from the inside: chunks of it had exploded outward and were crumbling away.

That sight was the final nail in the coffin of Kaneki's situation. _That settles it. I'm not in Japan. I'm not even on Earth anymore. Either that, or I've finally lost my my mind._

If he _had_ gone insane, then this was certainly the most detailed hallucination he'd had. Yang, despite sounding as though every word left a bad taste in her mouth, did a decent job of explaining the school's layout. She showed him the dining hall (which could have easily seated and fed over a hundred people), the dormitories (which were equally spacious), and the lecture halls (built very similar to college classrooms). The library was large, warmly furnished, and stacked with all sorts of books Kaneki had never heard of. There was an amphitheater for important announcements, as well as faculty areas that were off limits (Yang made that very clear).

The two were on their way back from the edge of these forbidden areas when it happened. The doors of the hallway they were in flew open, and a torrent of students poured out. They were talking to each other, laughing, trading playful shoves...boys, girls, and…

 _Wait a second. What is—?_

The girl that had caught his eye looked, in almost every aspect, as plain as sackcloth: long, smooth brown hair, warm chocolate eyes, the same uniform he'd seen on every other student. However, one thing stood out, or rather, up—two long, brown rabbit ears, sticking straight out of the top of her head. As he watched, dumbstruck, she bumped against someone. When she apologized, her ears drooped slightly.

Yang must have noticed him staring. "Don't look at her like that!" She said harshly. Her arm twitched, as if she meant to cuff him over the head, but she seemed to reign herself in at the last second. "Geez, you'd think you'd never seen a Faunus before."

Kaneki managed to wrench his eyes away from the girl, but it was difficult. "A...Faunus?" He asked.

Yang paused, looked back at him, and quirked an eyebrow. "You're kidding me." When he shook his head, she rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Seriously? Have you been living under a rock?"

Kaneki pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Yang rolled her eyes again. "Okay, look. A Faunus is like a human, but they have animal features as well. Usually an extra pair of ears, like Velvet." She jerked her head towards the rabbit-eared girl. "But they can have horns, tails, claws…" Her next words were abruptly threatening. "And they're just as much a person as anyone else, so I better not hear about you messing with her, or any other Faunus for that matter."

Now it was Kaneki's turn to shoot an incredulous glance. _Does she really think that_ I _have any right to discriminate against someone with rabbit ears?_ "You won't," he said curtly.

Yang, however, didn't seem to hear him: she was currently fixated on something to his right. Kaneki turned and followed her line of sight, and found himself looking at a group of four walking towards them.

The boy in the lead was plain looking, with scraggly blond hair and a somewhat nervous face. There were three people with him—another boy, this one with a stoic expression and long, feathery black hair streaked with pink; a small girl with a strawberry blonde bob and cyan eyes as energized as her expression; and finally, a tall, almost stately girl with long scarlet hair and luminous green eyes. They were all dressed in the same uniform as Yang, save the boys, who wore pants instead of skirts.

The four seemed to recognize Yang; their expressions brightened upon seeing her (save the black-haired boy, who remained impassive). As one, they hurried toward her and Kaneki, with a chorus of "Yang!" And "Hello!"

Yang smiled, for the first time since Kaneki had seen her. She looked happier when she smiled, almost... _Jolly, that's the word._ "Hey, guys!" She called, waving.

The group stopped in front of Yang and Kaneki, beaming (or, in the black-haired boy's case, watching). "Where were you?" The blond boy said. "Port had Weiss fight a Boarbatusk! It was awesome!"

The smaller girl grinned cheerfully at Kaneki. "And who's this little marshmallow?" She poked a finger into his ribs.

Kaneki couldn't help but feel a small spike of indignation. _Little marshmallow? That's rich; she's shorter than I am._

"Who, this?" Yang barked out a laugh and wrapped an arm around Kaneki's neck, pulling him close to her chest. "This is Eyepatch," she said, digging her knuckles into his head. The gathered group probably saw it as a gesture of affection—however, although it didn't hurt him, he felt the pressure against his skull and knew that it was intended to. "I'm showing him around campus."

The black-haired boy tilted his head. There was something calculating in his gaze that made Kaneki uncomfortable. "I didn't see him yesterday," he said. His voice was as flat and grey as a stone.

Since he was still pressed against her, Kaneki could feel Yang tense up. "Eyepatch here's a special case," she finally said. "Ozpin didn't say why he let him in late, and you know how _he_ gets." As if she were suddenly aware of their close proximity, Yang released Kaneki's neck and all but shoved him away.

This seemed to satisfy the black-haired boy, who nodded and said nothing else. The other three, however, seemed much more interested. "Most people aren't accepted into Beacon after the initiation ceremony," the red-haired girl said. "You must be very special, for Ozpin to take interest like that."

"Oh, yeah." Yang spoke before Kaneki could, her voice coming out faintly strained. "Eyepatch here is _real_ special."

The blonde boy scratched his head. "Well, new g— _Eyepatch_ , I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc. It's, uh, nice to meet you." He held out a hand.

Kaneki felt Yang twitch more than he saw it, but he could practically feel her eyes burning a hole in his shoulder. Wordlessly, he took Jaune's hand, shook it twice, and let it drop.

That seemed to be enough; Jaune smiled a nervous, excited sort of smile, and quickly introduced the rest of the group. "This is Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora." He pointed to the redhead, the other boy, and the shortest girl in turn.

The newly-named Pyrrha waved. "Hello again!"

The one that Jaune had called Nora squinted. "Eyepatch, huh?" she said suspiciously. She eyed him up and down, grabbing her chin firmly as she did so. After a few seconds, her suspicious expression popped like a soap bubble. "Why do they call you that?" She asked. She sounded completely serious.

Kaneki blinked, flustered. "W-why?" He repeated, stuttering slightly.

Nora laughed. "I'm kidding!" She said playfully, punching his shoulder.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaneki saw Yang twitch again. _That's right,_ he realized suddenly. _She can't tell them about any of what Ozpin told her. She's probably worried I'll attack them if they touch me._ The thought amused him slightly, but also made him sad. _I can prove her wrong, at least._

He smiled and chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I see," he said. He looked around. "This school, it's...incredible."

The black-haired boy—Ren, he was called—nodded. "Beacon Academy is the foremost Huntsmen academy in Vale. It's known throughout Remnant for producing Huntsmen and Huntresses."

Kaneki hid his confusion as best he could. _Huntsmen? Huntresses? Is this place like the CCG? What are they fighting? Ozpin_ said _there weren't any ghouls here..._ The image of the wolf on the statue came to him. _Werewolves? Is that what they're fighting? Or is it something else? Is that why—_

"Hellooo-ooo." Kaneki blinked, abruptly realizing that someone was waving a hand in front of his face. "Remnant to Eyepatch!" It was Nora.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," Kaneki apologized. "What did you say?"

Nora pushed his shoulder again. "Pyrrha asked where you went to school before this, silly!" She chided playfully.

And just like that, Kaneki was back in his head. _Shit, what do I say?_ "I-it was a small school," he improvised wildly. "On an island." He added. _Technically true._

"An island?" Jaune said. His eyes widened. "Wait, are you from Menagerie?"

Kaneki nodded, grateful for a name. However, he immediately noticed Yang cutting her hand across her neck in a silencing motion from behind the group. _Dammit. What did I just admit to?_

"That's interesting," Pyrrha said brightly. "We don't get many students from there. So you're a Faunus, then?"

 _Ah, so that's it,_ There was nothing he could do now but play along. "Yes," he said, rubbing his chin with a hand and trying to ignore Yang's furious expression. "Just...don't tell anyone, okay?" _The last thing I need is to try and turn up proof._

Nora winked and saluted. "You got it, Eyepatch!"

"But," Pyrrha added, "you should never be ashamed of that. There are plenty of Faunus at Beacon academy. No one will treat you any differently for it."

"Except Cardin," Jaune muttered, rubbing at his arm.

Pyrrha's expression soured. "Cardin is a bigot," she said tartly. "He doesn't represent the student body."

Yang nodded. "You said it, Pyrrha." She grabbed Kaneki by the shoulder and tugged. "Sorry to gab and go, but Eyepatch and I still have a lot to see." She dug her fingers into his skin. "Talk to you guys later, okay?"

The group nodded, said their various goodbyes to both Yang and Kaneki, and left. As soon as they were out of sight, Yang glared at Kaneki. "Real slick, _Marshmallow_ ," she growled, dragging him through the hall.

He looked at her, somewhat irritated, and pried her hand off of his shoulder. "What exactly is this a school for?" He asked. "They said something about Huntsmen…"

Yang stopped dead in her tracks. For a moment, Kaneki thought something was wrong.

"You...don't know?" Yang said, turning around to face him. Her expression was shocking: it wasn't anger, distrust, disgust, or any of the emotions she had shown him thus far. It was legitimate, genuine confusion.

Kaneki shook his head.

Yang squinted at him. "This is a school for Huntsmen and Huntresses," she said finally. "Those are people who kill Grimm."

Kaneki tilted his head to the side. "And...what's a Grimm?"

Yang blinked, stunned. She stayed like that for several moments, jaw working like a fish out of water; however, after a minute or two, her face spread into a slow, almost diabolical smile.

"Follow me," she said. "I'll show you." She walked a few paces away, then turned back. "Well? Come on!"

Kaneki followed her, a bad feeling gnawing in the pit of his stomach. _Why do I get the feeling she's planning something?_

* * *

A few minutes later, they finally reached the edge of the Emerald Forest. From what Kaneki could tell, it was aptly named: the leaves on the trees were a verdant shade of green so vibrant it looked almost fake.

Kaneki, however, couldn't truly appreciate the sight. Yang had acted very strange throughout the entire walk. She wasn't as irritated; on the contrary, something in her walk had become almost joyful. She kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, as well.

Yang whipped out a small metal rectangle, stretched it, and typed something on the luminescent screen that appeared in the middle as Kaneki watched, dumbstruck. She closed the device and tucked it away. A split second later, something rocketed from the sky and landed with a _thud._ Kaneki jumped, startled.

It was a locker: a normal, school locker, that had somehow dropped from the sky hard enough to embed itself in the dirt. As Kaneki watched, Yang walked over to the locker, fiddled with the lock, and swung the door open. Inside were two bracelets made of buttercup metal. They may have looked simple, but Kaneki remembered all too well how dangerous they were when activated.

Yang donned the bracelets with a graceful familiarity. "Now, Eyepatch," she said calmly. Too calmly. "You wait here, and I'll go find us a—"

She was interrupted by a faint, but steadily increasing sound that came from the trees. It was a deep rumbling, paired with a heavy thunder fall of footsteps. Yang looked at the forest, surprised, but also pleased. "Well, that saves me the trouble," she said.

Kaneki looked at her, eyes widening. The noise was growing steadily louder, and was now accompanied by a crashing noise, as if something large were shoving its way through the brush. "Wha—" he started to say, but that was as far as he got before some _thing_ came bursting from the trees.

The thing that came barreling out of the forest was unlike anything Kaneki had ever seen. If he absolutely had to compare it to something, he probably would have said a bear—its head and body were roughly the right shape and covered in coarse black hair, although it was far bigger than any bear he'd heard of. The upper half of its face was covered in a white bone mask, ornamented with intricate red patterns. Two crimson eyes peered out from the mask, glinting with primal, animalistic malice. More bone plates covered its joints, studded its torso, and protruded, tooth-like, from its back, although they lacked the red patterns of the face mask.

The creature slowed slightly upon clearing the trees; however, it quickly spotted Kaneki and Yang. It locked eyes with Kaneki, opened its mouth, and _roared._ Even from his spot, at least fifteen or so meters away, the sound grated against his ears.

And then, it charged.

Months of constant battles had given Kaneki keen instincts, and it was these instincts that sent him leaping nimbly out of the creature's path. Too big to stop, it barreled past him. Snarling, it dug claws into the ground, dragging to a halt and gouging muddy trenches in the dirt.

Kaneki spared a quick glance in Yang's direction. She was watching him with a smug expression on her face, and hadn't even extended her gauntlets. _"That's_ a Grimm," she said.

He barely had time to process that before another mind-shattering roar ripped through the air. The creature—the Grimm—seemed thoroughly annoyed at having missed its target. It whirled around, sending up a wave of earth, and locked eyes with Kaneki. Snarling, it lunged for him again.

Once again, Kaneki dodged to this side. However, the Grimm seemed to be learning—it leaned heavily to the side, nearly tripping over its own paws, and missed him by a hair.

"Watch out, Marshmallow!" Yang taunted.

Kaneki crouched low, glancing at Yang from the corner of his eye _._ His mind was racing. _So, this was her plan? Take me out here and have one of these kill me? She could always just say I tried to run as well; there are no witnesses to say otherwise. Maybe she's smarter than I thought._

He refocused on the Grimm. _No time to think about that. This thing is big, but it's not agile. If I can get in close and avoid its mouth, I should be able to kill it. And if I can't, I can always use my kagune and attack from a distance._ Something occurred to him. _Ozpin_ did _tell me not use it except in an emergency, but I'm fairly certain this counts._

With a plan in mind, what came next was as simple as breathing. When the creature came for him a third time, instead of dodging, Kaneki jumped forward. A quick twist sent him on the creature's head, hands quickly twining in black fur in an attempt to stay on. As if from a distance, he heard Yang shout, "Hey!"

Kaneki paid her no mind, too busy tucking in his legs in order to keep from knocking against the creature's spines. He pounded a fist against the creature's bony skull and instantly regretted it—the white plate was tougher then he'd thought. His knuckles _crunched_ under the force of his blow, folding nauseously out of shape. Pain stabbed through his hand, although it healed in less than a second.

The Grimm roared, rearing up onto its hind legs and swiping wildly at its head. Kaneki clung on like a leech, pressing himself against the beast's foul-smelling flesh in order to avoid its claws. His nose wrinkled in disgust. The creature smelled almost like how ghoul meat tasted, but somehow even more foul: rotting meat left to bake in poison and its own congealed blood.

From somewhere in front of him, he heard Yang yell, "Hey! Ugly!" There was a _bang,_ and suddenly the Grimm staggered, roaring like a storm. "Try picking on someone your own size!"

Kaneki felt a spike of annoyance. _Now she wants to help? What is she playing at?_

Despite the blast the Grimm had taken to its stomach, it neither weakened nor moved to attack the blonde. However, it seemed to have gotten an idea. Abandoning its attempts to grab Kaneki, the Grimm instead threw itself backwards, slamming its back into a nearby tree.

Kaneki swung out of the way just in time. Looping his arms around the creature's neck, he swung around until he was hanging under the Grimm's chin. Quick as a cobra, he knifed his hand and plunged it into the creature's exposed throat.

Foul, blackish-red blood poured from the wound, coating his hand and arm up to his elbow. The creature roared an awful, gurgling roar, swinging its head in an attempt to throw Kaneki off. It succeeded; the half-ghoul went flying in a spray of oil-like ichor. He flipped in midair and hit the ground at a crouch, drops of blood spattering the grass around him.

There was another _bang_. Kaneki looked up just in time to see Yang go flying towards the Grimm. She discharged two rapid fire shots from her gauntlets, hitting the creature with a vicious uppercut, before twisting and using the second blast to propel her foot into its stomach. It flew backwards, bellowing in pain.

Yang hit the ground and immediately slid into a boxing stance, fists raised. "Had enough?" She said mockingly.

The Grimm stumbled, shaking its head from side to side. It roared and charged, thundering _past_ Yang—straight to Kaneki.

Kaneki caught a glimpse of Yang's horrified expression before the Grimm's glowing red eyes filled his vision. He made a split-second decision; crouching low to the ground, he leaped, setting a course for the creature's head. His kagune burst from his back—one, two, three, four ropes of scarlet scales.

Before the creature realized what was happening, the needle sharp ends of Kaneki's kagune sank into its body. Two found their way into its eyes, the only soft spot on its head, and the other two stabbed into its open mouth and pushed through its throat. A second later, Kaneki slammed feet-first into its skull.

For a moment the Grimm kept running, its roar gurgling away to a rumbling choke. Stumbling, it tripped, hit the ground, and slid. Kaneki leaped nimbly from its head and landed a few feet in front of the creature, kagune dissolving away like red paint doused with water. The creature gurgled one last time, black blood spreading in a pool beneath its neck, then fell still.

To Kaneki's surprise, the Grimm's body began to dissolve. Its skin flaked away like old paint and dissolved in the breeze, the rest of its body melting into the dirt. In a matter of seconds, it was gone, the only indication it had even lived and died being the few wisps of evaporated blood curling from the grass.

Kaneki eyed the spot it had been. He was starting to wonder just what kind of school he was in. _They train_ teenagers _to fight these things?_ No wonder their weapons were so strange. _And no wonder they were able to hold their own against me._ Not running from Ozpin's offer had clearly been the right choice: even _he_ couldn't outrun that many talented fighters in a strange place, not for long, anyway.

"Hey! Eyepatch!"

Kaneki glanced up in time to see Yang stomping towards him. She was so angry she practically glowed: every muscle was tight as a spring, and her eyes were incandescent with fury. "What do you think you were _doing?_ " She demanded, leaning forward until she was less than a foot from his face. "Do you know what Ozpin would have done to me if that thing killed you?"

Kaneki met her gaze with an icy stare. _I see. Her plan hasn't worked, so now she's trying to cover it up._ "If you didn't want it to kill me, then you wouldn't have brought me here," he said, tone frosted over.

If he had slapped Yang across the face, she could not have looked more stunned. "I didn't _bring_ you here because I wanted it to kill you!" she shouted.

Kaneki paused. Yang seemed genuinely surprised that he had suggested something like that; and now that he looked, she was shaking slightly. "Then why?" He asked bluntly. "What was the point? To scare me?"

For the first time during the exchange, Yang looked away. She grit her teeth. _That_ is _why she brought me here,_ Kaneki realized. _She's seen me fight; she must have guessed I'd be able to dodge. And she was probably confident enough in her own skill to think she could kill it herself._ He fought down a sardonic smile, in spite of himself. _That's a dangerous prank. I gave her too much credit._

There was a _crack_ as Kaneki pressed down on his middle finger, almost without realizing it. "You brought me here and attracted a monster, just to scare me," he mused, more to himself then Yang.

Yang's head whipped back up to face him. "And?" She spat. "Do you want to say something?"

Kaneki scoffed before he could stop himself. "No."

It was a single, simple word, but something in his tone must have infuriated Yang more than he'd expected. She snarled, her anger so tangible that Kaneki could practically see wisps of smoke curling from her hair. In fact, he realized, there actually _were_ wisps of smoke curling from her hair. Violet eyes flaring an alarming shade of red, she reared back, cocked her fist, and—

"Yang! Eyepatch! There you are!"

Yang froze, eyes draining to lilac. Looking almost sheepish, she lowered her arm. Kaneki turned around and saw Ruby, Blake, and Weiss heading towards him. Ruby was waving. "What are you guys doing out here?" She called. "We've been looking all over for you!"

Kaneki looked over at Yang, who seemed embarrassed. "Yang was showing me around," he said. Abruptly, he realized the sleeve of his shirt was stained black with blood and moved to hide it behind his back. Thankfully, none of the girls seemed to notice.

Ruby looked at her teammate, curious. "But I thought I heard yelling," she said suspiciously. She glanced behind the blonde, her suspicion morphing into astonishment. "Hey, is that your locker? What's it doing out here?"

Yang scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "There was an Ursa," she muttered.

Ruby's eyes grew wide as quarters. "An _Ursa?!_ What happened? How did you beat it?" Dashing forward, she hopped onto Yang's arm and shook it. "You have to tell me everything once we get back to the room!"

Yang smiled and ruffled Ruby's hair. "Sure thing, sis," she said. She turned to Blake and Weiss. "Come on," she said. She walked away, Ruby at her side, bouncing from side to side and chattering like a squirrel.

Blake followed after them quietly. Weiss almost did as well, but she turned to look at him at the last second. "Word of advice," she said stiffly. "Next time you try to eat a Grimm, don't use your hands." She turned, ponytail whirling indignantly, and followed the other three members of her team.

Kaneki watched them go for a moment, sighed, and tugged at his black-stained sleeve before following them. He had only taken three steps when what Yang had said hit him like a steel pipe. His whole body _jerked,_ every muscle tensing as his eyes widened.

 _Did she say...'Sis'?!_

* * *

Kaneki and the girls had reached the room almost an hour ago, and it was still all he could do to keep his jaw off the floor. _Ruby and Yang are_ sisters. _Sisters! That explains so much! But they have different last names...Are they half sisters?_

He shifted slightly from his place on the floor. His mattress had yet to arrive, and he wasn't sure that sitting on the girl's beds would be a good idea. However, he didn't mind very much. The other four were busy: Ruby was lying on a bunk, Blake was reading, Weiss was writing something at the desk, and Yang was pacing; which meant Kaneki didn't have much to do except think.

That was fine with him. It wasn't as if he didn't have anything to think about.

"Hey Yang! Where are you going?"

Kaneki looked up from his thoughts. Yang was by the door, one hand halfway to the knob. Ruby was watching her curiously.

The blonde smiled. "I'm just taking a walk, Rubes." She opened the door. "I'll be back before lights out, okay?"

Ruby nodded. "Okay."

Weiss stood up from her seat at the desk. "I'm going out as well." Before anyone could ask any questions, she strode over to the door, pushed past Yang, and left. Yang shot Ruby a sympathetic glance, then followed, closing the door behind her.

That left Ruby, Blake, and Kaneki alone in the dormitory. Blake, however, was still occupied with her book. After a moment, Ruby clambered down from the top bunk, arms laden with heavy textbooks. "Do you mind if I sit with you, Eyepatch?" She called over her shoulder.

Kaneki blinked, surprised. "N-no," he said quickly. "Not at all."

Ruby sat down next to him, sighed heavily, and cracked open one of the textbooks. "I hate studying," she said glumly. She abruptly perked up and glanced Kaneki's way. "Hey, Eyepatch," she said slyly. "How much do you know about Grimm biology?"

Kaneki shook his head. "Nothing." A quick flash of a bear-like creature dissolving to nothing filled his mind's eye. _Well, maybe not_ nothing.

Ruby slumped again. "Great," she muttered. Once again, however, her displeasure didn't last long. "Wait a sec," she said slowly. "Eyepatch, if you don't know anything about Grimm…" Kaneki could practically hear the gears turning in her head. For a moment, he wondered if she had puzzled out where exactly he was from.

Ruby pointed a finger straight up. "I've got it!" She pointed the same finger at him. "Eyepatch, you and I can study together!"

Whatever Kaneki had been expecting, it wasn't that. He stared at the young girl in front of him. "You...want me...to study with you?" He said slowly.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah! You can learn about Grimm, and I can study and show Weiss that I'm a responsible leader!"

 _Ah, so that's it._

"You're studying because you want Weiss to think you're a good leader?" He said.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah." Realization dawned in her eyes. "Oh yeah, you haven't been here!" She set the books to the side and placed her hands on her knees. "I'm two years younger than the rest of the team. I got accepted early, and I still don't know why Ozpin made me the leader of the team."

Kaneki managed to hide it, but he was impressed. _Two years early? She_ was _very talented, but still…_ "Weiss doesn't think you're responsible enough because you're younger," he said. His tone made it clear it was a statement, not a question.

Ruby shook her head. "That's part of it, but that's not the only reason. She says I'm…" she trailed off, paused for a moment, then muttered, "underqualified" while making quotation marks with her fingers. Her arms dropped. "She might be right, though."

Kaneki tilted his head. "Why do you think that?"

Ruby sighed heavily. "Well, Weiss is from a really fancy family, so she had all kinds of expensive training and equipment; plus she's great with Dust. Blake is really quiet, but she reads all the time and is probably super smart. And Yang is a great fighter. The other day, she jumped _inside_ a Nevermore's mouth!" Grabbing a book, she leafed through it at a rapid pace and, upon finding what she was looking for, turned and jammed it at Kaneki.

The book page was taken up by a picture of a black bird. It resembled the Grimm from earlier, at least in color: had dagger-like black feathers and a white and red bone mask over its head. The ends of its wings were tipped with claws, like a bat. Down in the corner was a small human figure, setting the creature at a massive size.

Kaneki glanced back at Ruby. "Is that a Nevermore?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. Yang jumped in its beak and was all—" she threw her fists forward in rapid succession, making explosive noises to mimic the blasts that came from her teammate's gauntlets. "It was awesome!"

Kaneki briefly tried to imagine Yang inside the Nevermore's beak. _I can see her doing that._ "What about you?"

Ruby blinked owlishly at him. "What do you mean?"

Kaneki thought for a moment before continuing. "You seem adept at finding good things about other people. What about you?"

Ruby slumped. "I don't know! I mean, I'm okay with Crescent Rose, but I don't think that's enough to be a good leader."

Kaneki scratched the back of his head. _Why am I doing this? I'm not exactly the best person to get advice from._ "Being a leader isn't about what you _can_ do, not really," he said eventually. "That helps, but it comes down to what you actually _do._ Being able to pass a test is one thing, but it's actually passing the test that matters. Does that make sense?"

Ruby thought that over for a moment. Slowly, steadily, a smile crept over her face. "Yeah, it does!" She said happily. She beamed. "Thanks, Eyepatch! You know, you give really good advice!"

Kaneki stared at the young girl in front of him. _She's...nice. Really nice. Even after what I did..._ "Can I ask you something, Ruby?" When the younger girl nodded, he said, "Why are you so willing to trust me?"

Ruby looked at him, curious. After a moment, she shrugged. "Why not?

Kaneki stared at her. Whatever answer he had been expecting, it wasn't that. _Why not?_

Ruby seemed to sense his confusion and hastily continued. "I mean, you _do_ regret attacking us, right?" When he nodded, she pressed on. "And you _do_ want to make it right, right?" Another nod. "You see? That's that! If you want to change, me ignoring you or being mad won't do anything."

 _She isn't wrong, but still…_ "I tried to kill your teammates," he said calmly. Too calmly. His voice came out as heavy and flat as a sheet of lead, thick with his need to impress upon her what he had done. "I hurt your friend Blake. I tried to _eat_ you."

Ruby flinched at his tone, her face growing pale. Kaneki wanted to hit himself. _Perfect. The one person who was willing to give you a chance, and you scared her. You're an idiot, Ken Kaneki. A complete idiot._

"Yeah, that was scary," Ruby said, shoulders slouching. "And the others aren't gonna forget it for a while." To Kaneki's surprise, she perked up, looking at him with a determined gleam in her eye and a brave smile on her face. "But Ozpin thinks you're okay, and that's good enough for me. As long as he trusts you, I'm willing to give you another chance."

Kaneki was stunned at the sincerity in Ruby's voice. _She really means that,_ he thought. _But that's not good for her to think like that. Someone might...might..._

And then he remembered Nishio.

Nishio Nishiki was guilty of almost the same thing Kaneki was: he had attacked both Kaneki and Hide with intent to kill the former and eat the latter. In fact, his crime was worse, in a way; whereas Kaneki had been injured and starving when he attacked, Nishio was well-fed, simply bored and irritated from his previous encounter with Kaneki. And yet the two had, against all odds, worked together, and even become friends.

 _Is this any different, really?_

Kaneki smiled, the first halfway genuine smile he'd had since his arrival in Remnant. "I appreciate that, Ruby," he said.

Ruby beamed back. "No problem." She hoisted the book up and shook it in front of him. "Does this mean you'll help me study?"

Kaneki chuckled, actually, truly chuckled, in spite of himself. "Of course."

Ruby nodded happily and laid the book down on the floor, tracing a sentence with a finger. "Okay, so help me remember this. A Beowolf is a common species of Grimm…"

* * *

It was a long time before Ruby felt confident enough to study by herself. However, before that time came, Kaneki managed to learn everything he needed to know about Grimm. In addition to this, his mattress arrived, along with a pillow and blanket.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," Kaneki said finally. "But I need to rest. I'll study with you tomorrow, if you'd like."

Ruby nodded distractedly, not looking up from her textbook. "Uh-huh," she muttered.

Kaneki spent a moment preparing himself for bed. His shirt was neatly folded next to his mattress (although he was careful to hide his bare chest under the blanket), with his eyepatch untied and placed on top. With a heavy sigh, he eased his way under the blanket.

He lay awake for a long time—long after Blake put her book away, long after Yang returned, long after the sound of turning pages switched to Ruby's snores. Try as he might, sleep eluded him. His mind was simply too full. He tossed and turned, a dozen worries dragging through his head: Anteiku, where he was, his new acquaintances, getting back to Japan. They spun round and round like clothes in a dryer for the longest time.

However, his tiredness eventually caught up with him. Slowly, steadily, Kaneki managed to settle down; his breathing slowed and deepened, and his eyes stayed shut. Right as he was about to drift off, Kaneki heard the door to the room open. Someone walked in: Weiss, judging by the sound her shoes made. She walked into the kitchen area, and there was silence for a moment; but then, there was a familiar sound—a steady _drip drip._ The rich, bittersweet smell of coffee seeped into the room, so thick he could nearly taste it.

Half-asleep as he was, the smell wrapped around him like a cherished blanket, filling him with a painfully sweet sense of nostalgia. It brought to mind china cups, jars of dark brown beans, aprons and hot water and a comforting sense of belonging. It made him think of Anteiku.

If he concentrated, he could almost imagine that he was back at the coffee shop. The Manager would be brewing the day's first cup of coffee; Koma would be behind the counter, proudly blustering at his antics as the 'Devil Ape'; and Nishio, who would be casually sitting nearby, would sigh a long-suffering sigh and call him a dumbass. Hinami would be at a nearby table, her bird on her shoulder, cheerfully reading a book.

He imagined this for so long, that after a while, Kaneki could almost believe it was true. The past days' events had been nothing but a bad dream. He wasn't on the floor of a school dorm; he was in the spare bedroom at Anteiku. Any moment, Touka would come and wake him up. She'd whack his head, call him a lazy idiot, and drag him out of bed so he could get ready for the day.

 _Any second now…_

A kinder world might have granted Kaneki a good night's sleep, filled with dreams of happy days at his favorite coffee shop. As it was, the world was not so kind—when sleep did find Kaneki, it brought with it nothing but nightmares.


	4. Xenophobic Bar

**Hello, everyone! It's been a bit, hasn't it? Nice to see you all again!**

 **So, a lot of you seemed pretty panicked that I had abandoned this story. Let me provide a little explanation. The first three chapters, I had written at least somewhat in advance. I knew where they were going. I knew what to write.**

 **This one was built from the ground up, and therefore required a bit (okay, a lot) more time. Besides, I did say later chapters would take longer. And on top of that, I've been busy with school, other projects, and a few other things (and at least one writer out there knows exactly what those other things are). So yeah. It took a while to write. Although, a little hummingbird HAS informed me that I have no chance of taking the top if I take too long, so I might kick it up a notch after this.**

 **But seriously, how stupid would I have to be to abandon my most popular story? Before I've claimed first place, no less?**

 **Still, I should apologize. Not a whole lot is happening in this update. Sorry. Don't worry though. The next chapter will kick things up a notch.**

 **Now, on to...COMMENT REVIEW TIME!**

 **Nasha Rei-Kun: It may be stupid. But it is Yangish. And maybe he can get an Aura, and maybe he can't, but I'm not telling.**

 **1 One Piece Fan: Perfect. Gotta keep the audience frosty.**

 **LostSoulWeeping: They're similar characters, so it happens without me really meaning to. I'll try not to oversaturate the story. And you'll have to see…**

 **Asupergoodwriter: I'll be honest with you. Chapter names are not my strong suit. Symbolism in general isn't my strong suit. The best I can ever manage is a somewhat heavy handed reference. Also, son of a frick. I fixed those mistakes, but dang it all, I'm better than this.**

 **eduardocev123: Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it!**

 **ItsHoodButItsGood: I couldn't always write this this. It took a lot of reading and style emulation, as well as tons of practice. If you really want to improve your own style, practice as often as you can. Emulate other writers for a bit, until you can find your own style. Get as many people as you can to critique your work. And glad you liked it!**

 **FairyTailWzard: Stop, stop, you're making me blush! That aside, I'm really, really glad you enjoyed this so much.**

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 **Guest: Sorry, you're gonna have to wait between chapters. These take time.**

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 **Raraiki: Hey, these chapters take time. Cut me a little slack.**

 **Absolute Demise: Or the hammer, or the gun, or the—whoops, spoiler alert! Let's just say, "the ways of the ridiculous shape-shifting weapon" and call it even.**

 **Firefly9715: Glad you like it, and sorry about the wait. It can't be helped.**

 **Matemeo3: *snicker* Aw man, that made my day. He's gonna be so mad. Thanks!**

 **Guest: It does, possibly. I'm not entirely sure. And sorry, I don't think that that would work.**

 **hm: Manga. The anime is for scrubs.**

 **IlluminatiAnimeLover789: Right now, actually.**

 **kylc: Can no one save our Snugglemuffin? Maybe I can. But I'm not gonna. :P Glad you liked it!**

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 **jy24: Fear not! I would never abandon this piece!**

 **Petrus streamrock: Yes. Yes I am.**

 **RandomGing: There aren't enough good crossovers in general, to be honest. But glad you liked it!**

 **Reah-Kitsune: Aw sweet, I'm an Author-san now! That aside, I'm glad you liked it. Characterization is hard (particularly for Kaneki, there's a very thin line you have to tread) but apparently I've done a good job! Sorry to make you wait...**

 **Marlo's Flame: Well, ask and you shall receive, as long as you're willing to be patient.**

 **MRose5: Aw, you're making me blush! Thank you so much!**

 **Guest: Here it is. Thank you for the nice words.**

 **With Death Comes More Death: I could go on about how wrong you are, and how you're going to eat those words, but you know what? I won't. I'm just going to work hard. And I'm going to watch. And, when I finally do surpass you, I'm going to look down at you from on high, and I'm going to smile.**

 **Well, now that the reviews are out of the way, I've kept you all waiting enough. Before I start, though, just a quick shout out to the people that helped with this chapter. That means you, Death.**

 **Now, LET THE STORY BEGIN!**

 **Edit: Man, I sure do love it when the document won't load to the website, forcing me to delay my upload and resort to copy pasting and reformatting EVERYTHING by hand. I love it. It's my favorite.**

* * *

 _His head hurt. His head hurt terribly._

 _Not to say that the rest of him was fine; his whole body ached, as though someone had tried to pull him in half, and his hands and feet were numb. But his head hurt worst of all. A gnawing, drilling, burning pain that went through his skull like a lance._

 _It wouldn't be so bad if he could at least see, but his vision was dark and murky, his eyes covered with a blindfold that felt caked on. His hands were bound behind his back, his legs chained together and connected to his wrists by a line that ran underneath the chair he was in._

 _The chair..._ _ **That**_ _chair…_

 _Fear rose in his throat like bile. He started struggling frantically, every nerve wound tight as a spring. The chains on his wrists and ankles rattled, cutting into his flesh painfully. He tried to activate his kagune, but it wouldn't come—he was too weak._

Not again...Not again...Not again not again not again—

 _Someone spoke. He couldn't make out what they were saying—his head hurt so terribly that it sounded like gibberish—but they seemed to be right in front of him._

 _His heart stopped for a split second, then slammed against his ribs so frantically he was sure it would burst through his chest. He redoubled his struggling, spitting curses even faster than his terrified heartbeat._ Not again not again no no no—

 _The person in front of him clicked their tongue, grabbing his chin with a hand as cold as death. They forcibly tilted his head from side to side, as though he were a horse they were thinking of buying. Sharp nails (claws, he remembered, Yamori always wore two claws on each hand) scratched at his skin, but any pain they might have caused was lost under the throbbing in his skull._

 _In desperation, he snapped at the hand—if he could eat and build his strength, maybe he could escape. His teeth closed down on empty air with an almost mocking click._

 _There was an agonizing pause._

 _Without warning, the hand was back, grabbing at the blindfold. It came off with a nauseating peeling sensation; for whatever reason, it had been plastered to his face by thick, crusty fluid. It took Kaneki a few moments of blinking to be able to see anything—whatever had gummed the blindfold into place was still caked in his eyes—but as soon as he could see, he found himself wishing he were still blind._

 _Pitch black eyes looked down at him hungrily, the irises as red as fresh blood._

"Eyepatch! Eyepatch, wake up!"

Kaneki's eyes flew open and immediately crossed trying to take in the curiously concerned face centimeters from his own. The eyes were silver, not red, but that hardly mattered—they were close, very close, far, _far_ too close. Adrenaline surged through his veins like ice water, drowning his grogginess; heart pounding in his chest, he rolled to the side and sprang to his feet. Something came up with him, wrapping around his neck—he flung it to the side with panicked abandon.

Ruby, who was standing a meter or so away, held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She said quickly. "It's just me! It's just me!"

She was immediately pushed back by Yang, who spread an arm to block her path. "Stay back, Ruby!" She barked, stepping in front of her younger sister protectively. She glared at Kaneki, then looked away, a faint pink flush creeping up her cheeks.

For a wild, terrifying moment, Kaneki forgot where he was. His head darted from side to side. Bookshelves, bunk beds, a mattress on the floor—

It all came back to him in a rush, as if someone had stored his memories in a bucket and poured them over his head. The tree. The girls. The school. Beacon and Remnant, Aura and Grimm; the words spun through his head like they were caught in a twister.

The small part of him clinging to the hope that it had all been a bad dream died screaming.

"—have attacked you!" Yang finished what was clearly a rant just as Kaneki started paying attention again.

Ruby stamped her foot. "He was having a nightmare, Yang! And we have class soon anyway!"

Yang ground her teeth and stepped so close to Ruby that she was nearly on top of her. "That's not the point!"

As short as she was, Ruby stood her ground. "I get it, Yang!" She said firmly. "I know you don't like him. And I know why. But shouldn't you at least give him a chance?"

Yang's face, already tinged pink, flushed bright red. Without another word, she turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut angrily. Ruby flinched, but stayed where she was, gazing sadly at the door. After a moment, she glanced Kaneki's way—and promptly blushed beet red. "Uh, Eyepatch?" She stammered, fixing her eyes firmly on the floor. "You might want to get your blanket…"

At first, Kaneki was confused, but then he abruptly realized: he had thrown his blanket to the side, and he didn't have a shirt on. _Well, she_ is _still young._ He quickly picked up his blanket from where he had tossed it and wrapped it around his shoulders. "I'm sorry I scared you," he said quietly.

Ruby cautiously glanced up from the floor, shaking her head and hoisting a somewhat tight smile onto her face. "It's fine," she said. "I shouldn't have woken you up like that, but you looked like you were having a nightmare. Were you?"

Kaneki paused for a second, wrapping the blanket tighter around his shoulders. "Yeah."

Ruby tilted her head. "Do you wanna talk about it? You were kinda freaking out. You kept flipping over and saying 'no'—"

"Don't worry about it," Kaneki interrupted, rubbing the underside of his chin. "I don't even remember what it was, anyway."

Ruby looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Okay!" She pointed to a pile of items near the side of his mattress: a school uniform, as well a toothbrush and a small bundle of brown paper the size of a hamburger. "Ozpin had a few things sent up for you. You should probably get showered and dressed—we have breakfast soon, and then it's off to your first official day at Beacon Academy!"

Kaneki nodded and picked up the bundle, before turning back to Ruby. "Where's the bathroom?"

Ruby blinked. "Oh, yeah!" She pointed to a nearby door. "Through there. You can use my soap and stuff until we get you some of your own. It's in the red basket."

Kaneki dipped his head appreciatively. "Thank you." Without another word, he went into the bathroom.

He had no sooner closed and locked the door than he slumped over, face buried in his hands. _That could have gone better._ He allowed himself a few precious seconds of crippling self-pity, before taking a steadying breath and straightening up again. _I better get ready. Don't want to be late and give the others_ another _reason to be angry._

The bathroom was spacious and well-built, tiled in cream and tan, with four clean porcelain sinks and a checker-curtained shower area. On the left were four cubbies, each one containing a small basket: one yellow, one black, one white, and one red. _Of course._

To his slight (and humorous) dismay, Ruby's supplies—soap, shampoo, and all—were scented a cloyingly sweet cherry vanilla. Even her towel was saturated with the scent. It was particularly overpowering to his sensitive nose—just sniffing an open bottle made him sneeze. For a brief moment, he considered not using soap at all, but his dream had left him drenched in sweat, and if he was going to be staying at this school, it would probably be in his best interests to make a good impression.

Besides, it had been a while since he'd had a proper shower.

The feeling of hot water running down his back was one of the best things he had ever felt. Wishing that he could have enjoyed it, but knowing that he didn't have the time, Kaneki scrubbed himself quickly. By the time he came out, he felt refreshed—albeit slightly smothered by the uncomfortably powerful cloud of cherry vanilla that now clung to him.

Once he was dry (which didn't take very long), he combed his hair and got dressed. The uniform, which consisted of a shirt, vest, blazer, tie, and slacks, fit him perfectly. For a moment, he wondered how Ozpin knew his size, but quickly realized that he must have had him measured while he was unconscious. The thought disturbed him for a moment, but he quickly shrugged it off. _It's not like he went over me with a tape measure. Judging by eye wouldn't have been very difficult._

Once he dressed and tied on his eyepatch, there was only one thing left on the counter: the small package. Already knowing what it was, Kaneki undid the string and pulled the paper off. Sure enough, inside was a small slab of meat. Part of him was curious as to how Izpin managed to get human meat on such short notice, but he realized it would probably cause a lot of hassle if he tried to find out. Without much fanfare, he picked it up and started to eat.

It had been such a long time since he'd properly eaten human meat, that he'd almost forgotten how it tasted. It may not have provided the extra strength that ghouls did, but it certainly tasted much better. He finished it off in record time, making sure not to get any blood on his uniform. _I probably should have eaten before I changed, but it's too late now. I'll have to remember next time._ Making a mental note to do just that, he crumpled the paper into the smallest ball he could and stuffed it at the bottom of the trash can.

Kaneki was in the process of brushing the blood from his teeth when he happened to catch sight of himself in the bathroom mirror. Setting down the toothbrush, he looked at himself for a long moment. He hadn't been as careful eating as he'd thought: there was a small smear of blood on his chin, which looked strange when compared to the uniform he was currently wearing. However, it only took a splash of water to remove it.

 _I almost look like a normal high school student._

He really did. He'd never been incredibly tall, so he was the right size; with Weiss around, his hair didn't stand out, and most of the students (at least, that he'd seen) didn't look much younger than him. He honestly could have passed for normal. And he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

He stared at his reflection for a minute, until his hand, almost acting on its own, wrapped around his eyepatch. A quick tug revealed exactly what he expected: an eye stained black and red with satiated hunger. A ghoul's eye.

 _Almost._

There was a knock on the door. "Eyepatch!" Ruby's voice came through muffled, but no less distinct. "You done in there?"

Kaneki blinked, the black bleeding out of his eye and leaving it a dull silver. Quickly sliding the eyepatch back into place, he answered, "Just a minute." He made sure his teeth and face were clean, thoroughly rinsed the red from his toothbrush, straightened his tie one last time, and left the bathroom.

At some point, the remaining members of team RWBY had gathered in the common room, all dressed in uniform. They watched as Kaneki entered, their expressions varying mixtures of anger and distrust. Ruby, oblivious to the grim mood, clapped her hands together once she saw him. "You look great!" she said gleefully. "Just like a real Beacon student!"

Kaneki smiled. "Thank you," he said, doing his best not to make eye contact with Yang, who was glaring daggers.

If Ruby noticed his discomfort, she didn't show it. "You just need one more thing…" In a burst of red, she darted over to her bed, grabbing something from the top bunk and resuming her starting position before Kaneki had quite realized that she'd left. Beaming, she pressed a canvas bag into his hands. "Your very own backpack!"

The entire exchange was so abrupt that Kaneki nearly dropped the bag. Gripping it tightly, he looked it over. It was plain enough: black with gold piping, emblazoned with a white insignia of two axes crossed over a circle. There were already things in it as well—a quick inspection revealed several textbooks, an equal amount of blank notebooks, and writing supplies.

Kaneki looked at Ruby curiously. _Did she arrange this?_

The young girl noticed his expression and answered his thought. "Ozpin had it sent up last night," she said. "Can't have the new kid carrying everything around in his hands!" She beamed and flashed him a thumbs up. "Besides, I think it really completes the whole look!"

Kaneki smiled and muttered a 'thank you', but his mind was elsewhere. _This is looking more and more like Ozpin intends for me to stay permanently,_ he thought uneasily. _Come to think of it…_ He frowned. _He never said anything about helping me find a way home. Or about me getting home at all. How long is he planning to—_

"Hey!" Kaneki was yanked from his thoughts by an angry voice. "Are you paying attention? We're leaving!"

Kaneki blinked disorientedly. The members of team RWBY were halfway to the door and looking at him expectantly. It was Yang who had spoken—she was glaring at him with irritation. "I know you don't eat _normal_ food, but we're not going to be late because you were too busy daydreaming. Get moving!"

A large part of Kaneki knew he deserved it, but he couldn't help but bristle slightly at the acid in the blonde's tone. Still, he held his tongue and followed.

* * *

The entire walk to the dining area was taken up by Ruby, prattling excitedly about how amazing Kaneki's first day would be, and about how much he'd love Beacon, and how she couldn't wait to see how he could fight on a real mission.

Despite it being nearly impossible to get in a word edgewise, Kaneki found her constant chatter amusing. It reminded him of Hinami—in fact, Ruby overall reminded him of Hinami. They had the same cheerful, bubbly innocence, the same sort of wide-eyed wonder at the world. They even looked somewhat alike, if he ignored the hair and eye color differences.

The thought made him happy, for a moment, but then it made him violently homesick.

"And here we are! Welcome, Eyepatch, to your first official breakfast at Beacon!"

Ruby's voice tugged Kaneki from his thoughts. Blinking in confusion, he refocused on his surroundings and was met with the sight of an expectant Ruby holding out an arm in a sweeping gesture. In front of them was the door to the dining hall, through which the dull rumble of morning chatter could be heard. "Right this way!" She said, her voice comically grandiose. She pushed open the door and gestured inside.

Kaneki smiled. "Thank you," he said, stepping inside the building.

The dining hall was just as he had seen it yesterday: tall windows that let in plenty of sunlight, set between stone arches and delicate wire panes. Stretched out in front of him were row after row of tables. However, unlike yesterday, they were spread with all manner of breakfast foods: toast served with preserves or honey, fresh fruit, pancakes, bacon, eggs served scrambled, boiled, fried, and more, and all sorts of other things. To his gratification, there were even several pots of coffee.

The room was also filled with students. Most were uninteresting, but he saw several with animal ears, and some with horns or antlers. He even caught sight of the girl with rabbit ears, sitting next to a boy easily twice her size (even with the added height her ears provided). Remembering Yang's words from the previous day, he did his best not to stare.

Ruby quickly led the group over to an empty table. Kaneki, assuming that was where they would sit, took his seat on one side. Yang, Weiss, and Blake all sat down on the other side of the table.

The divide couldn't have been more obvious if they'd been on opposite sides of a canyon.

Ruby made to sit next to Kaneki, but Yang snagged her wrist as she passed. "Sit next to me, Rubes," she said. "I, uh, wanted to ask you a question." She smiled, showing far too many teeth to be genuine. "My Ember Celica have been making this weird noise when I—"

To Kaneki's surprise, Ruby tugged herself away. "You can ask me from across the table, Yang," she said firmly. With an air of finality, she sat down next to Kaneki and poured herself a glass of juice.

The temperature at the table seemed to drop ten degrees. Kaneki was shocked, and just a little mortified. _I'm going to end up tearing this team apart,_ he thought, as Ruby started pressing her sister with questions about her 'Ember Celicia' (whatever that was).

It wasn't that he _wanted_ to split them up; but unless either Ruby or the three older girls underwent a complete change in opinion, he was going to cause problems, which he didn't want. So how to avoid it?

The most obvious solution was to be on his absolute best behavior. Tsukiyama had started out as an enemy (and even when Kaneki allowed him to join his group, he'd never been exactly subtle about his desire to eat him) but over time, Kaneki had learned to tolerate, and even rely on him.

Kaneki frowned, cracking a finger absentmindedly. Of course, these girls might not be so forgiving. Half the reason he had tolerated Tsukiyama was because he was confident that, if it came down to a fight, he could easily win (and in the end, he was right). These girls were strong, to be certain, but from what he'd seen, if he ever fought one of them on their own while he was at full strength, he would almost definitely win (with the possible exception of Yang, who seemed to have a decent amount of both endurance and ruthlessness). Without that confidence, it would be more difficult for them to feel safe in his presence.

 _It's easier to change the mind of one person than to change the minds of three,_ a tiny voice in his head sing-songed. _If you don't want them to be divided, just scare Ruby enough, and they'll all be convinced._

Kaneki shook his head slightly, as if he could shake the errant thought away, but it persisted. Like it or not, that _would_ be the easiest solution. If he was worried about driving the group apart, just drive away the sole person who was on his side. They'd stay together, and he'd—

"Eyepatch?"

Kaneki blinked. Ruby was looking at him, silver eyes blinking innocently. "You okay? You were spacing out."

Kaneki shook himself slightly, nodded, and smiled. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was just...lost in thought."

Ruby nodded understandingly and dug into her breakfast with almost indecent enthusiasm. Kaneki watched for a moment, amused, then turned to the three older girls sitting across from him. _That kind of thinking isn't going to get me anywhere. Right now, I should get used to staying here. Which means..._

"Excuse me," he said, directing his question across the table. "What kind of schedule do you have here?"

There was a moment of pause; the older girls looked surprised that he had asked them and not Ruby. Eventually, Weiss cleared her throat and spoke. "Most of the day is taken up by lectures, with a few small breaks for meals and recreation," she said. Her voice was stiff and sharp, like the crack of a whip. "There might be a practical lesson. Classes are done at about three thirty, and other than dinner, our time is our own after that until lights out."

Kaneki nodded. He could feel the girl's irritation growing with every word, but he was determined to keep the conversation going (if not morbidly curious to see how it would play out.) "What kind of classes?" He asked.

Weiss clenched her jaw, almost imperceptibly. "There are a few core classes—mathematics, chemistry, world history, and so on. Then there are classes on the different varieties of Grimm, their abilities, and where they're most commonly found. Combat classes: the best ways to utilize individual weapons, training to effectively use Aura, rudimentary courses on different varieties of Dust—"

Kaneki cut her off. "What's Dust?" _I've heard that term before...Ruby mentioned it yesterday._

He may as well have tossed a bucket of ice water over Weiss's head. "You don't _know_?" She said incredulously.

Kaneki shook his head.

Weiss stared at him as if he'd just grown a second head. "Dust!" She snapped. "Only the most important discovery in mankind's history! Fire! Ice! Energy in its purest form!" The more she talked, the more she seemed to rile herself up: by the time she had finished, her face was flushed. "That doesn't ring a bell?"

Kaneki shook his head again.

Weiss glared at him. A small wisp of hair had worked its way free from her ponytail: she looked like she was coming apart at the seams. Finally, she let out a " _Hmph_!", tucked her hair back into place, and went on with her breakfast, ignoring him completely.

Kaneki sighed. _Well, I guess it could have gone worse._ _I'll have to do some reading on Dust later, though._ Hands working on autopilot, he poured himself a mug of coffee and took a sip. It was nothing special, certainly when compared to even the cheapest brews at Anteiku, but it was passable, maybe even good. Grateful for the comfort it provided, he took another sip.

He had no sooner done so when he caught sight of Ruby from the corner of his eye. She had stopped eating and was now watching him intently. "How come you can only drink coffee?" She asked, gesturing to his mug.

Kaneki placed it down and shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said honestly. "I can't live on coffee, but it's the only thing other than water that I can drink."

"What happens if you eat normal food?"

 _Didn't Ozpin tell them all this?_ "I'll throw it up," he said simply. "Theoretically, I could force it to stay down, but it would do more harm than good. I know someone who managed and they were sick for days afterwards."

"Know someone?" Blake had been so quiet up until now that Kaneki didn't recognize her voice at first. He glanced her way and immediately took note of her expression—she looked as if he had just told him that her tea was full of spiders. "There are more thi— _people_ , like you?"

Kaneki abruptly realized he had said more than he had meant to. _Well, I can't lie my way out of this one._ He nodded. _It's not like it's dangerous for them to know about other ghouls._

Blake stared at him for a long moment. "Where are you from, exactly?" She said finally. "Ozpin didn't say."

Kaneki opened his mouth halfway on reflex, but just as quickly shut it. Ozpin's instructions from the previous day ran through his mind like a recording.

 _"I figured that one piece of astonishing news was more than enough for one day. However, if you would like to tell them, I have no objections. That's your choice, Eyepatch."_

 _Should I tell them? It wouldn't actually do any harm, but I doubt they'd believe me. They'll probably just think I'm more unstable than they already think I am._ With that straightened out, Kaneki opened his mouth to lie—

"Hey there, ladies. Who's the new guy?"

Thankfully, it seemed that he wouldn't have to.

Standing behind Weiss and Blake, arms crossed, looking for all the world as if he owned the building, was a boy. He was tall and broad-chested, with a bristly shock of chestnut hair and somewhat washed-out purple eyes. His face was twisted into a sneer.

Kaneki didn't like him.

"Hey, Cardin," Ruby said. Her usual enthusiasm was gone, replaced by a forcefully polite monotone. "This is Eyepatch. He just got here yesterday."

The newly named Cardin looked Kaneki up and down, his sneer growing more and more pronounced. Finally, he scoffed. "Why'd Ozpin let you in?" He walked over to the opposite side of the table until he was directly behind Kaneki. "You're runtier than Jauney-boy!"

Kaneki did his best to tune him out, taking another sip of his coffee. He was aware of this boy's type: loud, blustering, cocky and arrogant. The type of person that would follow you home after school, shove you down, and toss your bag up a tree. He had encountered people like him all too often and had long ago stopped caring.

"Hey!" Cardin jostled his shoulder and nearly made him spill his drink. "I'm talking to you. It's rude to ignore your classmates, don't you think?"

Kaneki set his mug down and turned to face the taller boy, raising one eyebrow. "It's rude to harass them, too," he said flatly.

Instead of getting irritated, the taller boy grinned. "Well, look at that!" He said. "The new kid's got a backbone!" He glanced at Kaneki's hands. " _And_ a nice manicure."

The jab hit Kaneki like a droplet of water. Not in the mood to care, he turned back to the group and downed the last of his coffee. "What are the rules on leaving campus?" He asked Weiss, setting his mug on the table. "Do you have to wait for specific times, or—"

A hand grabbed the scruff of his neck and squeezed, hard. "We're not done talking, pal," Cardin said warningly, grabbing his collar with his other hand and hauling Kaneki out of his chair. He twisted him around so that both hands were wrapped tight around the front of his shirt and they were nearly nose to nose. "I haven't had a chance to give you the new kid welcome."

The way that Weiss, Blake, and Yang all tensed up was not lost on Kaneki. However, none of them made a move to help him.

 _That's fine. I don't need them to, anyway._

"Cardin, leave him alone," Ruby pleaded, to Kaneki's surprise. "He just got here, and—"

"Can it, shorty." Without so much as glancing her way, Cardin released one hand from Kaneki's collar and shoved Ruby so hard she fell out of her chair. She _eeped_. "I'm talking to Patches right now."

Quick as a whip, Kaneki pulled free from Cardin's grip and grabbed his arm. He twisted, sidestepping in one fluid motion, so that before anyone knew what was happening, he had Cardin face-down on the table with his arm pinned painfully behind his back.

It took Cardin a moment to realize what had happened. "What the—" He started to struggle. "Let go of me!"

Kaneki tightened his grip—the boy was actually pretty strong, at least as strong as a weak ghoul. "No," he said curtly.

"Eyepatch!" Yang was up, fists clenched, but underneath her blatant irritation was a hint of panic. "Don't hurt him!"

Kaneki met her gaze, uncaring. _What does she think I'm going to do? Kill him over a push? With all these witnesses?_ "I'm not hurting him," he said, subtly releasing the worst of the pressure on the taller boy's arm. "I thought you'd be a bit quicker to defend your sister, Yang."

He knew immediately that the last part had been a mistake. In the space of a blink, Yang's eyes went from lilac to firetruck red. "Don't," she snarled, leaning forward and gripping the table, "tell me how to treat my sister." Her voice was nothing but rage.

Cardin, most likely thinking Kaneki would be distracted, bucked in an attempt to throw him off, and nearly succeeded. Patience rapidly wearing thin, Kaneki pressed on Cardin's arm until he grunted with pain. "You came over here thinking you'd found a new target, but let me set you straight." He leaned down until he was right next to the taller boy's ear. "The strong destroy the weak. And right now—" he squeezed the boy's wrist until he yelped, "—I'm sure you know which of us is which."

"Eyepatch!" For the first time since he'd met her, Blake referred to him by name.

Kaneki looked up. Blake was staring at him, eyes wide and scared. Every muscle was tensed, and she was leaning back, as if she expected him to attack at any second. Even her bow seemed to quiver with fear. "Please," she pleaded. "Stop."

She sounded absolutely terrified. And believe it or not, Kaneki didn't like it.

Kaneki pulled Cardin up from the table, turned him around, and pushed him away. " Go," he said, a bit harsher than he meant to.

Cardin stumbled for a step or two, then caught himself. He turned around and glared, his face as dark as a thundercloud. For a moment, he looked like he was going to come back; however, when Kaneki met his gaze unblinkingly, he scowled, turned, and walked away.

Kaneki watched him to make sure he wouldn't come back, then looked around. Quite a few people seemed to have noticed his grapple, and were looking at him with a strange mix of shock and what looked like respect. The three older members of RWBY, however, were watching him with thinly-veiled nervousness, and Ruby hadn't moved from where Cardin had pushed her down. She was staring at Kaneki was a strange, almost glazed look in her eyes.

Sighing, Kaneki stepped over to her and leaned down. "Are you alright?" He asked, holding out a hand.

Ruby flinched.

It was slight, minuscule, so small he almost believed he had imagined it—if it weren't for the accompanying spark of fear that dashed across her face. Both were gone in an instant, and then she smiled and took his hand. "I'm fine," she said as he pulled her to her feet. "Thanks, Eyepatch." Maybe he was hearing things, but her voice shook slightly on his name.

Honestly, Kaneki didn't know why he was so surprised. Imagining Ruby had completely forgotten his crime was a pathetic hope at best, and a stupid move on his part. _You tried to kill her, and her teammates_ , he thought bitterly. _Did you think she'd just forget it? Fighting Cardin probably reminded her of what you really are._

Still, her innocent, accepting attitude had made him believe she really had moved on.

 _Idiot. No one's that forgiving._

"Eyepatch, that was _awesome_!"

Pulled from his thoughts at the nearby voice, Kaneki looked up. Jaune, the boy from the previous day, had seemingly materialized from thin air, and was currently watching him with awe. The rest of the group—Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha, if his memory served—came up behind him.

Pyrrha glanced in the direction Cardin had gone, her expression troubled. "You should be careful, Eyepatch," she said. "Cardin seems like the type to hold a grudge."

Kaneki shook his head. "I'm not afraid of him," he said. _I doubt there's anything he could do that would scare me._

"You're strong for such a little guy!" Nora gave him a playful punch on the shoulder (which caused a noticeable flinch in the three older members of RWBY). "You and I should lift sometime."

Despite himself, Kaneki felt a stab of resentment. _You're shorter than I am._ Outwardly, he smiled as politely as he could manage. "I'd like that."

Nora looked like wanted to say more, but Jaune pushed her to the side. He seemed almost unable to contain himself: his eyes were wide and practically sparkling. "How did you even _do_ that?" He all but squealed. "Cardin's _huge_! If I tried that—" The glitter in his eyes dulled, and he shuddered. "Well, I probably wouldn't try that."

Kaneki contemplated the boy in front of him. _Sounds like he's had a run in with Cardin as well._ "I could show you sometime, if you'd like," he offered.

Jaune's eyes got even wider. "Really?"

Kaneki nodded. _Why not? I'll be able to get in some combat training, at least. This is a school for training monster hunters; he must be decent._

Jaune looked as if he might burst. "That sounds awesome!" He turned to Pyrrha. "Hey, Pyrrha, did you hear that? Eyepatch is gonna teach me hand-to-hand!"

Pyrrha froze, her expression becoming somewhat plastered. She had the strangest look on her face—if Kaneki hadn't known better, he might have said it looked like jealousy. "That's great, Jaune," she said, smiling in a way that seemed just a bit too bright. Was that a vein pulsing on her forehead? "I'm looking forward to seeing your improvement."

Jaune thanked Kaneki and went off with Pyrrha, who still seemed a little stiff. Nora quickly followed, waving as she went and calling a cheerful, "Bye, guys! Later, Marshmallow!"

Kaneki twitched, looking back at Team RWBY. Ruby looked like she was struggling not to smile, which was a relief, but the rest of the group looked vaguely shocked. "Did that just happen?" Yang muttered under her breath.

Weiss nodded silently.

There was an uncomfortable silence, that thankfully only lasted a few moments. "How's your shoulder, Blake?" Ren, who had been so silent that Kaneki had forgotten he was still there, spoke.

Blake's eyes darted Kaneki's way, just for a fraction of a second. "It's getting better," she said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She lifted a hand to her shoulder and lightly touched the bandage.

Ren watched her movements, his expression calm and calculating. "It's unfortunate that you got injured so early in the school year." Was it Kaneki's imagination, or did Ren's gaze flick in his direction? "It must have been a very powerful Grimm."

There was no doubt about it now. Ren was looking directly at him. And not a glance, either: this was blatant, extended eye contact. Knowing eye contact. _Accusing_ eye contact. It was strange that his expression could be so neutral while his eyes were so accusing, but he managed very well.

Kaneki had no reason to care what this person thought, but even so he couldn't help but be slightly uneasy. _Does he know it was me?_ A brief memory of his fight with RWBY flashed through his mind, and he bit back a groan. _Of course he does. They all do. Blake must have told them all during the fight._

Something else occurred to him, and he frowned. _Wait, that doesn't make sense. Why are the rest of them so nice if they know if was me? They should be at least a little wary. Unless…_

It finally clicked. _Have the rest of them not pieced it together?_ He had to resist the urge to facepalm. _This is getting ridiculous. How could they not realize?_

 _I guess I should be grateful. If they don't all know, they might tolerate me a bit more. It would be nice. Not that I deserve it, though._

* * *

Once Ren left, the rest of breakfast was spent in complete silence. Kaneki drank another cup of coffee (more for comfort than the taste), and made a note to himself to try and get some better coffee later. He thought he remembered there being a coffee machine in the dorm room, so it was only a matter of getting the right beans. Hopefully, the familiar action would soothe his nerves.

Once breakfast was over, Ruby gathered the team up and led them out of the cafeteria. Her act hadn't changed—she was still as comically grandiose as before—but she sounded half-hearted now. Kaneki couldn't help but feel guilty at destroying her enthusiasm. _You didn't have to attack Cardin, dumbass. You could have just taken it. You've been through hell; a high school hazing would have been easy._

Ruby led the team to their first class: Remnant History. The teacher was a tall, lanky man, with fried green hair and round, opaque spectacles. The scent of coffee, so tangible Kaneki was sure even the other students could smell it, hung about him like a cloud.

Kaneki shuffled to his seat with the rest of the group, pulled out a notebook and fresh pencil. The action felt almost foreign, after going so long without it.

The teacher waited until most of the students had filed in, and then started roll. After a minute, he reached Kaneki.

"Eyepatch?" His head shot up. "Is there an Eyepatch present today?"

Kaneki raised his hand. "Yes, sir."

The teacher paused, looking at Kaneki from over the tops of his spectacles. His eyes, half-hidden, were a surprisingly bright and piercing blue. He held his gaze for several seconds, before abruptly pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Ah, yes," he said. "Ozpin told me about you. Now, you may be a little behind, but I expect your best effort in this class." He fiddled with his tie.

Kaneki lowered his hand and nodded. "Of course, sir."

The teacher nodded vigorously. "That's the kind of attitude I like to see!" He pulled a thermos from seemingly nowhere and took a long sip. He put it down, wiped his mouth, and tucked the thermos away. "Now, for clarity's sake. Welcome, students! I am Professor Oobleck, and this is Remnant History!"

The class was actually both interesting and informative, although Kaneki was sure he was the only one that felt that way so strongly. Professor Oobleck briefly re-explained the point of the course, passed Kaneki a syllabus, then launched into a lecture. 'Launched' really was the only word for it: he zipped around the classroom at an impressive speed, speaking so fast Kaneki could barely understand him and writing on the board at such a rapid pace that the end of his chalk was practically smoking.

However, despite this, Kaneki learned quite a bit. Since it was the start of the year, he hadn't missed much. The professor began with a very quick overview of the four main kingdoms of Remnant: Vale, Atlas, Haven, and Vacuo, as well as the island of Menagerie (which Kaneki made a quick note to research later, as that was where he had, by his own admission, come from). Over the course of the lesson, he managed to cover the history of the larger settlements in each kingdom up to halfway through what he called the "pre-war period." For homework, he assigned several short answer response questions on how the terrain of each kingdom shaped the main cities.

Overall, Kaneki found the experience somewhat refreshing. Ever since he had become a half-ghoul (and particularly after his tortuous stint at Aogiri Tree) he'd lost touch with the academic side of his life. It wasn't that he'd wanted to; he'd simply gotten distracted by other matters. Even though getting back home was his top priority, it was nice to be somewhere where he could learn.

Although, it wasn't as peaceful as he would have liked.

Life-threatening battles and months of hard training had given Kaneki many skills, including perceptiveness. That meant that he hadn't failed to notice how Yang glared at him whenever she thought he wasn't looking, or how Blake flinched whenever he reached for a fresh piece of paper. Weiss, at least, didn't react to everything he did, although that wasn't out of kindness; she didn't react to him at all. Any time she had to look his way, her eyes slipped right past him, as if he wasn't even there.

If there was any chance that he hadn't realized beforehand, these displays made it perfectly clear: the three older girls despised him, didn't trust him, and most importantly, were afraid of him.

Of course, he couldn't blame them. His scuffle with Cardin earlier certainly hadn't made him look better.

The question was, what was he going to have to do to change their minds?

* * *

The rest of the day wasn't much different. Kaneki and the members of RWBY went from class to class, the former trying to take in as much as he could, the latter looking thoroughly annoyed (although in Ruby's case, it seemed more directed towards the homework). The morning classes were all very interesting: Grimm Studies, Weaponry and Dust, Advanced Combat Mechanics. He even recognized one of the teachers, the stern blonde woman in the cape that had shadowed Ozpin. She recognized Kaneki as well: when she reached his name on roll call, she paused before speaking, one eyebrow raised.

Lunch was mostly the same as breakfast, if much less eventful. Kaneki's neck was itching for most of it; he didn't know why until he stood up to leave and noticed Cardin glaring at him with naked malice. _He seems like the type to hold a grudge,_ Pyrrha had said earlier. Kaneki was quickly becoming used to that.

After lunch was an hour-long free period that the team spent in the library. Kaneki had hoped to do some research in that time, but Ruby insisted he join her and the rest of the team in a game of cards. Although calling it cards wasn't exactly accurate—it was a strategy game, with tiny pieces and cards with complex labels. Even after Ruby explained the rules, Kaneki was lost, so he settled for 'helping' her from the sidelines and watching as she lost spectacularly to Yang.

The remaining classes were relatively normal compared to the earlier ones: math, literature, and science. Kaneki actually found himself able to keep up with them: even in a different world, they worked the same way. The literature was was interested him the most: none of the books on the syllabus were familiar, and the academic side of him couldn't help but be a little excited.

Finally, classes were over for the day. With his new backpack freshly filled with homework, Kaneki followed team RWBY back to their dorm. Almost as soon as they entered, Ruby disappeared to the top bunk, no doubt to get a head start on her homework. Weiss left soon after, saying that she wanted to practice her 'glyphs' (perhaps the insignias that had appeared when she fought?) and that she'd be back in time for dinner. Yang went to the kitchen, and Blake soon followed her, a book tucked tightly under her arm.

Kaneki, with nothing else to do, decided to get a headstart on his homework. In the time it took for him to breeze through the math problems he'd been given, Ruby passed out in her bunk, snoring gently and muttering something indecipherable every now and again. With her asleep and the other girls gone, he had complete focus.

That being said, noise tends to be much more prominent when one is alone and silent. Kaneki may not have had the superior hearing most ghouls had, but his ears were still fairly sharp. As such, when he heard Yang say his name in the living room, he started listening.

"—and what kind of name is Eyepatch anyway? Were his parents pirates or something? _Ugh_!" There was a _whumph_ , as if she'd thrown herself onto a couch. "It's only been a day and I'm already sick of him!"

"You just have to ignore him, Yang," Blake answered patiently. "I don't like it any more than you do, but Ozpin isn't giving us a choice."

Kaneki supposed that was fair enough.

"Why have use watch him?" Yang clearly didn't see it that way, however. "There are plenty of other teams that could watch him. Jaune was drooling all over him earlier! Why not let him watch him?"

Kaneki imagined Blake probably shrugged, judging by what happened next. "I couldn't—" she cut herself off with a pained hiss.

There was a moment of silence. "Is it getting any better?" Yang said softly.

"Yeah. I just pulled the stitches a bit. It's no big deal."

Yang growled. There was a creak and a _thud_ —mostly likely her getting up from the couch—followed by angry, pacing footsteps. "I swear, Blake. As soon as he steps out of line, I'm gonna knock him on his ass."

Blake sighed. "Don't say that, Yang. You'll just get in trouble."

"Why would I? We've seen what he's capable of. If Ozpin wants us to watch him so badly, he can't get upset if I have to stop him when he goes on a rampage."

Kaneki frowned. _Not if._ _ **When.**_ _She's waiting for me to slip up._ The notion that the blonde was eagerly watching for a chance to blast him didn't surprise him, but it did unsettle him a bit.

There was a long silence on the other side of the door. Finally, Yang spoke again. "You know, I don't think he's a human."

"Ozpin said he wasn't."

Yang growled in frustration. "That's not what I mean. I think he's a Grimm."

There was a long pause. "A Grimm?"

Kaneki felt just as confused as Blake sounded. He blinked, frowning. _A Grimm? I mean, the colors match, I guess, but still..._

On the other side of the door, Yang continued ranting. "I mean, it would make sense. He doesn't have Aura, but swords bounce right off him, and did you _see_ that eye? It's a dead ringer for a Grimm! Even what he called himself. A _ghoul_. Sounds like a Grimm subspecies if I've ever heard one."

"A Grimm that acts like a human?" Blake, at least, sounded somewhat skeptical. "I don't know, Yang."

"This could be some new trick. Disguise themselves as people, work their way into society, and then bam!" There was a _smack_ , and Kaneki could only assume Yang had slammed a fist into her palm. "They launch an attack when we don't expect it!"

Kaneki furrowed his brow. _That's...a decent enough theory, I guess, but she sounds a bit too eager for it to be true._

"Yang, as far as we know, Grimm don't think. I doubt they'd be able to plan infiltration attacks."

"Just wait. He's gonna slip up, and once Ozpin realizes what he is, I'm gonna blow. His. Head. _Off_." Each word was punctuated by an increasingly heavier smack, and despite himself, Kaneki felt a very faint chill—she sounded completely serious.

"Yang!" Blake snapped, outraged. "Do you even hear yourself right now?"

Yang wasn't cowed. "I'm serious, Blake! You saw what he did to Cardin earlier. If we hadn't been there, he probably would have ripped his throat out!"

"Cardin _provoked_ him!"

"Oh, so you're defending him now?"

" _No_!" There was a _thump_ , and Kaneki could only assume Blake had risen from her chair. "I'm _not_ defending him, but if you start acting like everything he does is wrong, you're going to—" She cut herself off, taking a deep breath and blowing it out in an angry huff. "It's going to cause problems." She sounded a bit calmer, although not by much.

There was a long pause. Kaneki could hardly believe what he'd just heard. Since becoming a ghoul, he'd grown almost accustomed to unending blame and hatred. Blake, of all people, should have been more than happy to call him a monster. But she was actually...well, not _defending_ him, but acknowledging he hadn't been entirely in the wrong? Why?

Finally, Yang gave a heavy sigh. "Fine." There was a sound, footsteps, getting louder and louder. "I guess that makes sense—"

Kaneki was too stunned by what had just occurred to realize he should move until it was too late. The door opened, and Yang stepped into the room. She spotted Kaneki in less than a second; it took only a moment less to see the shocked expression on his face.

Yang's eyes narrowed. Kaneki could practically see the gears turning in her head. Scowling, she slammed the door shut behind her. Up in her bunk bed, Ruby shot awake, books and papers flying everywhere. "I was studying, Weiss! I promise—!" She froze, looking over the edge of the bed. "Yang?"

The blonde ignored her. Instead, she stomped over to Kaneki until she was towering over him. "Were you _listening_ to us?" She demanded.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaneki saw Ruby scrambling down the bunk. "Yang, he wasn't listening," she said frantically. "He was just doing homework—"

Yang shook her head. "I wanna hear it from him." She stared directly into Kaneki's eyes, a challenge if he ever saw one. "Were you listening to us?" Each word was tense and weighted, as if she hoped to crush him beneath them.

For a brief instant, Kaneki considered answering truthfully. _Why does it matter if I was listening? She's already made it clear that she doesn't like me. So what if I heard her?_

Just as quickly, he shook the thought away. _This is my life now, at least for the time being. If I'm going to stay with these girls, I'm going to have to atone for what I did to them. That means trying to stay on their good sides._

 _It's not going to be easy, but it's what I deserve._

Kaneki rested his chin on his hand and gave Yang a level stare. "No," he said politely. "I was just reading."


	5. Kernicterus

**Hello, everyone! Happy late Thanksgiving! As promised, this chapter is a bit earlier than the last (it was planned for late October, but NaNoWriMo kinda halted my progress). It was originally much, much longer (four episodes crammed in one), but I know you guys hate waiting, and I wanted to make these chapters really good, so I decided to split them. This means you can expect the next one within the week, and one or two more within a month!**

 **Also, you all may have noticed my nifty new cover art. I'm not going to say who made it, but I will let them know it is very much appreciated. If you happen to be seeing this, thank you very much!**

 **Now then, COMMENT REVIEW TIME!**

 **xanothos: Yeah. He did try and nibble them.**

 **Sneky: Thank you!**

 **jy24: That might help a** _ **little,**_ **but then again, they don't realize he's lied to them about his name, so maybe it won't. Glad you liked it!**

 **Abalisk: Yeah, he's having a bad time. And it's funny you should mention Cardin. Oh, and you're welcome!**

 **With Death Comes More Death: Bla bla bla, whatever you say bud, bla bla bla.**

 **FairyTailWizard: Awww, shucks. I'm blushing over here. Thank you so much, and I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Kamencolin: Thank you! Will do!**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Might not throw up (although Ruby would definitely be a bit green) but yeah, they'd feel bad. Granted they believed him, of course.**

 **Sturdivant: Exactly! They have some pretty good reasons not to trust him! And I can't promise anything in that department, sorry. I will try and keep it from getting pathetic, though. Also, no problem! Glad you liked it!**

 **LM56: I've noticed a lot of the stories in this section go one of two ways. Either it's a) Kaneki goes to Remnant and immediately makes friends (although maybe not RWBY) or b) person in Remnant (either Ruby or Jaune, usually) turns into a half-ghoul. I tried to be original. I'm glad you liked my characterization. And YES. SOMEONE GOT IT. That is EXACTLY what that chapter was for! I'm so happy you understand T-T**

 **RunDownLord: Hehehe. Thanks.**

 **IlluminatiAnimeLover789: Oh, don't worry. It'll be interesting.**

 **desdelor97: Thanks! Sure thing!**

 **EvilMagicman: I mean, he sees her as a** _ **little**_ **more threatening than that. Just a smidge. And I will neither confirm nor deny Cardin doing anything stupid in this chapter.**

 **1 One Piece Fan: Let's see if I can thaw you with this chapter. Things are definitely heating up, so it might do the trick.**

 **: Hehehe. It makes me happy to know my story has had such an emotional impact on you. Probably a bit more than five, to be honest, these things take time. And I mean...I'm not sure how that would work.**

 **TheWannnaBeWriter: Thank you so much! Glad to be back.**

 **LostSoulWeeping: Oh, don't worry. There's going to be a LOT of Kaneki interacting with other characters, and the world around him as well. And in a bit, when the plot kicks off, he'll REALLY start reacting to the world.**

 **Mysterious Red: Please don't die! The new chapter is here!**

 **Smilexcynical: Yep. Now there won't be any of those dumb filler chapters where all the characters start questioning the trustworthiness of the main. And yeah, Yang has a bit of a temper. Glad you liked it!**

 **Videomaster166: In defense of TG: R, they've never actually** _ **seen**_ **him eat people. Only Grimm. And there's a world of difference between hearing about someone doing something bad, and actually seeing them do it. Still, I'm glad you like my story!**

 **Dr4g0nb411z: Thanks a bunch!**

 **Firefly9715: Sorry for the wait. Here you go!**

 **Dot: T-T I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my writing. Thank you so much, and you're very welcome!**

 **darklight66: Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

 **RampantWriting: Thank you! I really try and get my characterization as accurate as possible in this story, since characters interactions make up a good portion of the plot. In my defense, Yang wasn't going to act** _ **too**_ **hostile to him in public. And I definitely know what you mean about dark dialogue, it can get cringe af if you aren't careful. It helps a lot, and again, thank you!**

 **TravisUmbra: Thank you so much T-T I certainly will, and the same goes to you!**

 **Nobody Important: Your username does not do you justice, sir. For you see, this comment made you someone very important. T-T Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm honored, I really am. I'll try not to let you down in the future!**

 **Guest: Glad you liked it!**

 **I think that's everyone. Now...LET THE STORY BEGIN!**

* * *

 _Bang!_

Yang's fist connected solidly with Nora's jaw, sending her flying through the air at breakneck speed. She hit the adjacent wall with a _thud_ that shook the bleachers, slid down, and groaned weakly. She struggled to rise, but after a moment, slumped against the floor.

"And that's the match." Ms. Goodwitch stepped into the ring. "Well fought, both of you. But Yang, try to focus on defense a bit more often. Your Aura took several unnecessary hits during that fight."

Yang nodded, face flushed with exertion.

Ms. Goodwitch turned to Nora, who was clutching her stomach. "Nora, your weapon has superior range. You know Yang is a close-quarters fighter; use your hammer to keep her back."

Nora nodded. "Yang...only won...because I had...too many pancakes this morning," she wheezed. Her face was looking a little green around the edges; Kaneki, who had watched her demolish several platters of pancakes at breakfast, knew she wasn't just making excuses.

Yang laughed, allowing her gauntlets to fold back into bracelet form. "Sure, Nora," she said good-naturedly, walking over to her opponent and handing her her hammer. "Good job."

Nora smiled and pushed herself up, using her hammer as a cane. The two made their way back to the stands. Kaneki attempted to give Yang a congratulatory smile as she passed him. She walked by without so much as a glance, leading Nora to her seat before sitting down next to Ruby.

Kaneki sighed and turned back to Ms. Goodwitch. _Worth a try._

It had been several weeks since Kaneki had arrived at Beacon. In that time, he'd gotten used to the classes and the world he was in. He'd learned about Remnant's history: a world ravaged by monsters, kept alive by human ingenuity, as well as the tireless work of Huntsmen and Huntresses. He'd learned just what Huntsmen and Huntresses were, how they operated, and just how many died each year. He'd learned more about Faunus (and was glad he did—there was quite a bit to their history, and JNPR was still under the impression he was one).

Most interestingly, Kaneki had learned how Ruby managed to dart around so fast (and by extension, the mystery behind Weiss's 'glyphs'). The answer was Semblance: a special talent of sorts, derived directly from Aura, and (similar to a ghoul's kagune) unique to each person.

Since learning about Semblance, Kaneki couldn't help but keep an eye out for them in other students. Blake, he'd discovered, could create copies of herself that dissipated when struck, allowing her a few extra seconds to attack. He wasn't entirely sure what Yang's was, but he knew it had something to do with her eyes turning red and her hair catching fire (that, and it seemed to activate when she was angry). Nora, he'd seen one day, was able to take electricity into herself and convert it to raw strength. Even Ms. Goodwitch was able to utilize telekinetic force in a variety of both offensive and defensive ways.

It had taken a bit of getting used to—accepting that the students of Beacon had what basically amounted to superpowers—but it had been easier than accepting that he was in a different world.

Overall, Kaneki had managed to fall into a comfortable (and dare he say enjoyable?) routine. It had been a long time since he'd had the chance to live his life and attend a school, without fear of the CCG or remnants of Aogiri catching up with him. Honestly, his situation could have been a lot worse.

The one thing that hadn't changed, however, was team RWBY's attitude towards him. Despite his best efforts, he still couldn't manage anything more than a few curt exchanges, and that was when they acknowledged his presence. Even Blake, whose shoulder had healed, still seemed terrified around him. Every time she so much as looked at him, Kaneki swore that even her bow twitched with fright. Still, with Ruby always doing her best to include him, it didn't bother him too much.

Ms. Goodwitch flipped through her scroll (the small tablet device Kaneki had seen Yang use on his first day). "We have time for one more bout before dinnertime. How about...Mr. Winchester?"

Cardin grinned, using his mace to push himself out of his seat. He walked down the aisle towards the ring, smugness and confidence oozing from every step he took. As he passed Kaneki, his elbow 'accidentally' jerked out towards his temple. Kaneki leaned back and allowed it to sail harmlessly pass his nose.

Cardin had become somewhat of an annoyance over the past few weeks. He clearly hadn't forgotten how Kaneki had pinned him on his first day, but he was also obviously afraid to try anything, for fear of a second humiliation. As such, he'd taken to glaring at him whenever they saw each other, making snide remarks when the teachers' backs were turned, and attempting to trip or smack him in ways that could be passed off as accidents.

Kaneki could have cared less. Cardin was a textbook schoolyard bully, and he had enough to worry about as it was.

Ms. Goodwitch flicked through her scroll some more. "And for your opponent...Mr. Arc."

There was a low rumble of surprise around the classroom. Jaune gulped, nervously grabbing the hilt of his sword as he rose from his seat. Kaneki did his best to make eye contact with him as he walked by, but Jaune's gaze was fixed on the ground. Kaneki couldn't say he blamed him; Cardin was looking at him with the same sort of predatory grin one might see on a hungry ghoul.

"You can do it, Jaune!" Nora jumped from her seat, waving her arms excitedly. Her voice echoed around the room, out of place with the suddenly somber atmosphere. "Break his leg!"

Pyrrha frowned. "It's supposed to be 'break _a_ leg', Nora."

Nora's smile didn't waver an inch. "No. It's definitely _his_ leg."

Kaneki watched as Jaune took his place across the stadium from Cardin. He couldn't help but be the smallest bit worried.

Just as he said he would, Kaneki had started training Jaune in hand to hand combat, no more than four days after suggesting it. However, it hadn't taken him long to realize that Jaune was an _awful_ fighter. He was better with his sword and shield, maybe even decent, but in hand to hand, he was worthless. In their first sparring match, Kaneki had flipped him so easily that Yang, who had insisted on spectating, leaped into the ring for fear that he'd killed him. She'd thrown two punches before Jaune had been able to explain he was fine (although it had been worth it watching her trying to come up with an excuse for why she was so ready to attack).

Jaune was about as strong as Kaneki had been prior to his transformation, if that. He was clumsy, easy to confuse, and let his guard down constantly. Most crippling of all, though, was his utter lack of self-confidence. After just one (admittedly grueling) session, Jaune, slicked with sweat and flushed with shame, had apologized for taking up Kaneki's time and offered to find some other way to improve. "I shouldn't have bothered you," he'd said glumly. "I'm team leader, I'm supposed to get better on my own."

Kaneki had crushed that line of thinking immediately. "Bullshit. You're never going to get better if you don't let anyone help you, especially at combat. It's not weakness, it's common sense."

When Jaune still seemed like he was going to back out, Kaneki cracked down hard. He started Jaune on a strict regimen of morning runs and weightlifting sessions, as well as evening sparring (the fact that Kaneki exercised with him, and therefore stayed in shape, was an added bonus).

It was difficult at first: Jaune gasped through every run and left for bed barely able to walk. However, after several weeks of hard work, it was finally starting to pay off. Jaune had gained some definite muscle mass, and despite his self-doubt, managed to pick up the simpler moves Kaneki taught him. Getting it through Jaune's head that he was _allowed_ to ask others for help was the hardest part, but with help from Pyrrha, he'd even accepted that.

Speaking of Pyrrha, she had turned out to be an invaluable training asset. Kaneki may have been skilled in unarmed combat, but he couldn't teach Jaune anything about using his sword. That was where Pyrrha excelled. Kaneki'd barely even needed to ask her—she leaped at the opportunity to help Jaune. As such, his sword skills had improved as well, maybe even a bit faster than his physical training.

However, despite everything, Jaune was still far behind his peers. Cardin was by no means the strongest student at Beacon, but he was far from weak. Worse still, he had a personal vendetta against Jaune: Kaneki wasn't sure why, but Cardin loved to torment the blond more than anyone else, with the exception of Kaneki himself. There was no doubt he'd go all out in this fight.

"Hey, Eyepatch," Ruby whispered loudly. "Do you think Jaune'll be okay?"

Kaneki thought for a moment, then shook his head. "He's improved, but I don't think that will be enough."

Pyrrha wrung her hands nervously. "Please don't say that."

Jaune drew his sword and deployed his shield, raising it as it unfolded into shape. Cardin hefted his mace over his shoulder and smirked. The arena screen flickered to life, showing both of their Auras at full strength.

Ms. Goodwitch raised her arm. "And...begin!" She brought it down sharply and backed out of the ring.

Jaune ran forward with a yell, raising his sword. Cardin stayed where he was, mace slung casually over his shoulder, a smug smirk on his face. When Jaune attempted a slash, he simply turned to the side and caught the blow on the mace handle.

Jaune yelled again, swinging his sword wildly back and forth. Cardin blocked every single hit, the same infuriating sneer on his face. "Jauney-boy, Jauney-boy," he taunted, bringing his mace down in front of his chest to block a particularly savage swing. "You know you're supposed to _hit_ me, right? Looks like you've been too busy drooling over Schnee to—"

Before Cardin could finish his sentence, Jaune jerked upwards with his shield, bashing it into Cardin's nose. He stumbled back, instinctively cupping his face with his free hand. As everyone watched, thunderstruck, a thin line of blood ran down his lip.

Kaneki glanced upward at the screen showing each combatant's remaining Aura. Jaune's was still full, but Cardin's had been lowered. _Cardin was too cocky. He doesn't realize Jaune's improved; not that he would, considering he still doesn't fight back when he picks on him._

Cardin stared at the blood smeared over his fingers, as if he couldn't believe it was his own. Slowly, his eyes narrowed; he glared at Jaune, who had been so shocked by his own success that he hadn't moved from his spot. "You're _dead_ , Arc," Cardin snarled.

Jaune swallowed, hard, and raised his sword. His hands were shaking, even though Kaneki could tell he was trying to hide it. "C-c-come and get me then," he stuttered.

The atmosphere of the room changed in an instant. No longer was this a one-sided slaughter; Jaune was actually fighting _back._ Cardin's teammates, who were watching from a few rows away, looked on the verge of having a collective stroke.

Cardin bellowed with rage and took off at a sprint, raising his mace high above his head. Jaune flinched and raised his shield just in time, catching the head of the mace with a _bang_ that shook the windows.

The two were like that for several long seconds, both refusing to give the other so much as an inch. Then suddenly, Cardin kicked Jaune square in the face, sending him flying across the room. He dropped his shield mid-air and skidded to a stop a several yards away.

Kaneki glanced up at the Aura bars. Jaune's was down by a full quarter.

Cardin didn't give Jaune any time to recover. He barreled across the room until he reached Jaune, then lifted his mace and brought it crashing down on Jaune's chest. His strike was so powerful that the concrete floor actually cracked in several places.

Jaune's Aura dropped to nearly half spent.

Cardin brought his mace down again and again, striking with savage fury. Jaune barely managed to avoid it, twisting wildly like a writhing centipede. In one quick motion, he grabbed Cardin's arm and planted a foot in his gut. He heaved, muscles straining visibly, and launched Cardin over his head. Cardin didn't go very far—only a few meters—but his Aura dropped to about three quarters of what it had been at the start.

The crowd erupted into a frenzy. Jaune even _landing_ a hit on Cardin was hard to believe; doing this much damage to him was inconceivable. "YOU GOT IT, JAUNE!" Nora bellowed, loud enough to be heard even over the screaming crowd. "BLAST HIM!"

Spurred on by the crowd's cheers, Jaune pushed himself up and grabbed his sword. However, instead of attacking, he ran to where his shield had landed. By the time he picked it up, Cardin was on his feet. HIs face was almost purple with anger, there was a vein pulsing on his forehead, and his eyes were bulging. Kaneki could practically see steam gushing from his ears.

There was no banter this time. Cardin lunged at Jaune, swinging his mace at his head. Jaune deflected it off the flat side of his blade a split second before it would have smashed into his mouth. The two traded blows, steadily picking up speed. Sparks flew as metal collided with metal. Jaune grit his teeth, pressing forward with his shield. Cardin pressed back, but he was steadily losing ground. Both of their Auras were dropping by centimeters, the result of a dozen or so accumulated nicks and scrapes.

Kaneki was impressed. _I didn't think he'd do this well. Pyrrha's lessons have been paying off._ He leaned in to get a better view. _Still, will it be enough?_

Finally, Jaune made a mistake: when Cardin feinted left, he fell for it and moved to block, leaving him off balance. Cardin grinned ferally. With one solid swing, he knocked Jaune's shield out of his hands, before spinning in a complete circle and slamming his mace into Jaune's head. The _crack_ it made against his skull rang through the room like cannon fire.

The crowd gasped. Kaneki winced.

Jaune flew through the air so fast that he blurred, slamming face-first into the wall directly underneath the Aura bars. The concrete shattered behind him, and his Aura dropped down to almost nothing.

Jaune was finished, but Cardin certainly wasn't. With a furious bellow, he hurled his mace through the air, directly towards Jaune's exposed spine. The crowd gasped. Kaneki couldn't blame them; without his Aura, a blow like that could cause serious damage _—_

A glowing purple glyph appeared midair. The mace struck it and bounced off, hitting the ground with a loud _clang._

Ms. Goodwitch stepped into the ring, riding crop raised, expression sour. "An attack against an opponent with no Aura would get you banned from _any_ tournament," she said, voice as tart as a peeled lemon. "Please, Mr. Winchester, _do_ try to control yourself."

Cardin scowled, chest heaving. Kaneki got the impression that he was struggling to restrain himself.

Ms. Goodwitch turned her attention to Jaune. With a swing of her riding crop, she pulled him from the wall and set him on the ground, where he promptly fell to his knees. "Well fought, Mr. Arc. I can definitely see that you've improved over the last couple of weeks. Keep training, and soon you'll be just as strong as your classmates."

Jaune looked up at her. Despite the (admittedly backhanded) praise he'd just received, his face was ashen, features contorted with disappointment. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet and staggered back to the bleachers. The crowd greeted him with congratulations and slaps on the back, but he didn't seem to care.

Ms. Goodwitch stepped up onto the stage and gazed out into the crowd. "Remember, everyone! The Vytal Festival is only a few months away!"

Kaneki had read about the Vytal Festival (and heard all about it from Ruby). Ozpin had already met with Kaneki about it: he would _not_ be allowed to participate. "You don't have an Aura, Eyepatch," he'd said gravely. "If you were to suffer any serious damage during the fight, it's entirely possible you'd lose control."

Kaneki hadn't argued with him. No matter how kind Ozpin had been to him, he'd have his hands tied if Kaneki rampaged during a public event. _Besides, it's four people to a team, and I have no business asking any of the girls to sit out for my sake._

"It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing! Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale." Ms. Goodwitch tucked her crop into a loop on her shirt hem. "You're dismissed."

The students stood up as one and slowly filtered out of the room, chattering away. Kaneki stood up and watched as RWBY and JNPR gathered together. "That was awesome, Jaune!" Ruby gushed.

Yang nodded. "That throw was great. You really showed Cardin, huh?"

Jaune blinked, then started. "O-oh, yeah," he muttered. "I _sure_ did." The sarcasm in his voice was painfully apparent.

Kaneki walked up to Jaune and fell into place next to him."You did well, Jaune," he said quietly, as the group walked out the door.

Jaune wouldn't look him in the eye. "Thanks, Eyepatch."

* * *

"So, there we were, in the middle of the night!"

Ruby had decided that they should sit with JNPR today. Nora was currently recounting one of the battles she and Ren had shared—in her dreams. Her voice, cheerful as it was, did a decent job of being spooky.

Ren didn't even look up from his lunch. "It was day."

Nora paid him no mind. "We were surrounded by Ursae!"

"They were Beowolves."

Nora leaped to her feet, eyes blazing, slamming her hands on the lunch table. "Dozens of them!"

"Two of them."

"But they were no match!" Nora sat down, arms crossed, face a picture of smug satisfaction. "And in the end, Ren and I took them down, and made a boatload of lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"

Ren sighed a long-suffering sigh and rubbed his temple. "She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month, now."

Kaneki took a thoughtful sip of his coffee. "Maybe it means you two will come into some money soon."

Nora cried "Aha!", shot from her seat, and pointed a finger at Kaneki's face. "You're right, Eyepatch! I _knew_ it meant something!"

Kaneki smiled. He had actually grown somewhat fond of team JNPR in the past few weeks. They spent a lot of time with team RWBY, and by extension, him; however, they'd never treated him the way the older members of RWBY did. The exception to this was Ren, who was stiff and cold whenever Kaneki was around, but even _he_ never got openly hostile.

As such, Kaneki had come to enjoy team JNPR's company. Aside from his training with Jaune, he'd taken to studying in the library with Pyrrha whenever there was something he didn't quite understand. Even when his questions were embarrassingly simple, she was always happy to help him. He'd even taken Nora up on her offer, and spent an afternoon lifting weights with her (which had eventually dissolved into an impromptu weight-lifting match, once Nora realized he was stronger than he looked. Nora won, but only because Kaneki couldn't use his kagune). They were friendly, fun people to be around, and certainly provided the conversation that RWBY withheld.

However, not all of them were in their usual good mood.

Jaune was morosely poking his salad, a glum expression on his face. Kaneki was no psychologist, but he could guess what was on his mind. _This was the first time he ever really had a chance against Cardin,_ he thought. _He managed to hold his own for a while, but Cardin knocked out a quarter of his Aura with one hit. No wonder he's sulking; he's discouraged._

Pyrrha, it seemed, had also picked up on Jaune's mood. "Jaune? Are you alright?" she asked.

Jaune shook himself. "Oh, yeah! Why?"

Ruby wrung her hands together nervously. "It's just that...you seem a little… _not_ okay."

Jaune looked around the table, apparently noticing that everyone's eyes were on him. "Guys, seriously. I'm fine. Look!" He flashed a thumbs up and stretched his face into a painful grin. When no one looked away, he giggled nervously.

Kaneki looked at him pityingly. "You're not fooling anyone," he deadpanned.

Jaune was about to answer, but a sudden burst of laughter from a few tables away caught everyone's attention. Cardin's team, CRDL, was gathered around a very familiar rabbit-eared Faunus: Velvet Scarlatina. One of them had his hands on his head, no doubt in mocking imitation of her ears; the others were laughing. Cardin was the only one who didn't seem amused: he was watching it all with a scowl. It appeared that Jaune's small success in fighting him had left him in a foul mood.

Jaune glowered, hand clenched so hard it trembled. Pyrrha took notice, placing her hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him. "Jaune, you don't have to let Cardin pick on you anymore. You've gotten stronger! That match earlier—"

"I _lost_ , Pyrrha," Jaune interrupted, pushing her hand away.

"It wasn't a total loss, though," Ren cut in. "You landed several good hits."

"But I _still_ lost."

Pyrrha lifted her hand again, but settled for placing it on the table, a few centimeters from Jaune's. "Jaune, if you still need help, you can just ask."

"Ooh!" Nora stood up, hands balled into fists, eyes dancing with excitement. "We'll break his legs!" Kaneki couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, but he couldn't say that he was opposed to the idea.

"Guys, _seriously_!" Jaune insisted. "It's fine! I don't need you to babysit me!"

"Ow! That hurts!" Once again, an outburst from Velvet drew Kaneki's eye. Cardin had a firm hold around one of her ears and was yanking it, a grim, vicious sort of enjoyment on his face. "Please, stop…" Velvet muttered, red-faced.

"Why should I?" Cardin retorted. "That's what they're for, aren't they?" He gave her ear a particularly violent jerk, eliciting a yelp of pain.

The other members of team CRDL laughed uproariously. "What a freak!" One of them jeered.

Kaneki was on decent terms with Velvet; he'd partnered with her once on a group project, and although she seemed nervous around him, she was a nice girl. Even if he hadn't known her, watching Cardin bully her irritated him.

Yang must have noticed him glaring at Cardin. "Don't do anything dumb, Eyepatch," she muttered.

Kaneki glanced her way, incredulous. "Do you usually just sit and watch him harass the upperclassmen?"

Yang scowled.

"It's not that," Pyrrha cut in hastily, no doubt sensing an argument. "Velvet hates it when people confront Cardin for her sake. She's always worried he'll hurt them." She gripped her fork tightly, glaring at her salad as if it were Cardin's face. "She's made most of us promise not to interfere. Even her own teammates."

Kaneki sat back in his seat and mulled that over. _So she'd rather get hurt than risk others getting hurt? That's not a very good mentality for a future Huntress._ A brief memory flashed through his mind: a brown-haired woman, young but somehow aged far beyond her years, twisting pieces of white tissue paper into flowers. _Or anyone, for that matter._

Velvet eventually pulled away and walked off, wiping the edges of her eyes, which looked suspiciously wet. Kaneki watched her go, feeling a strange sort of pity for her. A year or so ago, he had been in very similar shoes.

"Atrocious," Pyrrha muttered. "I can't _stand_ people like him."

"He's not the only one," Blake said, looking up from her book to glare at Cardin's back.

Yang propped her elbow up on the table and rested her chin in her hand. "It must be hard to be a Faunus."

Pyrrha shot Kaneki a sympathetic look. He pretended not to notice, instead turning back to Jaune—or rather, the empty seat where Jaune had been. Furrowing his brow, Kaneki scanned the lunchroom, only to catch sight of a familiar mop of scraggly blond hair en route to the lunchroom door.

Kaneki sighed. _Jaune's doing the same thing. Now that he's improved, he thinks he has to handle all of his own problems._ He absentmindedly cracked a finger. _It's the start of the year all over again._

"Hey, Marshmallow!" Nora waved her hands in front of his face. "How do you keep your nail polish from chipping?"

Her question, coupled with the sudden change of topic and the embarrassing pet name she'd taken to calling him, caught Kaneki completely off guard. "N-nail polish?" He managed to stammer.

"Yeah!" She gestured to his hands. "I keep noticing it whenever you do that finger thing." She tried and failed to crack her knuckle the way Kaneki did. "You've had that color for weeks now! Do you just repaint them every morning?"

Kaneki shook his head sheepishly. "It's not nail polish, actually."

"Wait, really?" Without warning, Nora reached out and grabbed his hand. She clamped down on his index finger like a pair of pliers, stretching it out forcefully.

Kaneki's world narrowed to a pinprick.

 _Large, rough hands grabbed his index finger, stretching it out despite his attempts to resist. Cold steel teeth bit into the joint. "Did you think we were finished? We're just getting started! I want this bucket filled to the_ brim! _" Yamori shook the bucket, severed fingers and toes flopping around lifelessly inside._

 _There was a twist and a crunch, and his finger tore off like a breaking twig. The pain was horrifying, but much worse was the despair: it would grow back within hours, and then it would happen again, and again, and again and again and again and_ _ **again**_ _—_

" _Now, what number were we on?"_

 _Kaneki gasped, tears streaming down his face. His mouth tasted like copper and salt. "E-eight hundred...eight h-hundred sixty—_

 _The pliers bit into his thumb, and the last number was cut off by a scream._

The slap was quick, sharp, and dispelled the hallucination in seconds. Kaneki jolted back, face stinging and slicked with sweat, breath coming in heavy gasps. His heart was jackhammering painfully in his chest.

At some point, he'd fallen out of his chair. Both RWBY and the remaining members of JNPR were watching him; in fact, almost every eye in the lunchroom was on him. The expressions ranged from confused to concerned to downright uncomfortable. Nora looked as if a balloon had popped in her face.

Kaneki's eyes focused on the mass of yellow in front of him. Yang was crouched at eye level, staring at him intently. Her hand was lowered in front of her chest; she was the one that had slapped him.

For once, she wasn't looking at him with scorn. She looked...uneasy. "Eyepatch—"

Kaneki leaped to his feet and bolted from the lunchroom.

* * *

Kaneki didn't stop running until he'd reached the campus gardens. Once there, he slumped onto a bench, out of breath. His hands were trembling, and there was a faint ringing in his ears.

Kaneki stayed like that for a bit, just long enough to catch his breath; then slowly hunched over, crossing his arms over his chest and digging into his skin with his nails. His left eye was hot and itchy; without even checking if anyone else was around, he yanked his eyepatch off.

Kaneki took a deep, ragged breath. There was no reason for him to be acting like this. Yamori was dead and gone, and even if he wasn't, Kaneki was no longer the frightened, hesitant boy he was back then. Nothing like that would ever happen to him again. Not while he was still alive.

Even so, it was humiliating to go to pieces like that in front of so many people. _What the_ fuck _is wrong with me? I can't lose control like that; what if I attacked someone? Stupid, stupid,_ _ **stupid—**_

"Eyepatch!" Kaneki almost jumped off the bench at the sound of Ruby's voice. "Eyepatch, I know you're here! Could you please come out?"

Kaneki made no effort to get up. Already, he was dreading trying to explain his episode to the others. Other than an occasional nightmare (no more than three a week), he'd managed to stay relatively lucid during his stay at Beacon. _How the hell am I going to explain this?_

"Eyepa— _there_ you are!"

Kaneki bit back a groan as Ruby came around the corner. She wasted no time in darting towards him, rose petals trailing behind her. "Eyepatch, I'm really sorry Yang hit you, but you can't run out of the lunchroom like that—" She stopped abruptly, staring at his face.

Kaneki looked away, irritated. "It's my eye, isn't it?" he said bluntly.

Ruby shook her head emphatically. "I wasn't looking at that! I was just—I mean, I wasn't—I didn't…" Her shoulders slumped. "Yeah, it's your eye. Sorry."

Kaneki shook his head. With almost mechanical motions, he retied his eyepatch. "It's fine. Listen, I...blacked out a bit back there. What exactly happened?"

Ruby shuffled awkwardly, rubbing her arm. "Nora grabbed your finger, and you kinda just...locked up. You were twitching, and then you started screaming. It...it was really loud." She looked up at him, silver eyes full of concern. "Eyepatch...are you okay?"

Kaneki cursed himself, cursed his weakness, cursed his own horrible luck. "I'm fine," he muttered, scratching his chin anxiously.

Ruby stared at him for a moment, before sighing heavily. Without another word, she sat down next to him on the bench. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said finally.

Kaneki stayed silent. _Good._

"But you _should_ tell me," she insisted. "I'm your teammate, Eyepatch! Maybe I can help!"

Kaneki snorted cynically. "We aren't teammates, Ruby. You four are the team. I'm just an add-on."

Ruby didn't respond to that. _She doesn't like it, but that's the truth._ Kaneki sighed. _It's not that I don't_ want _to work with them, but it's clear they aren't going to forgive me anytime soon._ He frowned. _I haven't even started looking for a way back home. Maybe it's time I stopped worrying about being so careful around RWBY, and started looking for answers._

There was a quiet sniff from Ruby. Distracted, Kaneki glanced her way— and immediately did a double take. Ruby was staring at him with wide, hurt eyes. Her lower lip was quivering, and to his alarm, there were even what looked like tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "Is _that_ how you feel?" She whimpered.

Seeing her face so vulnerable made Kaneki's heart wrench unexpectedly. He fought down the urge to backpedal and assure her that he didn't feel that way. "It doesn't matter how I feel," he said, forcing himself to stay calm. "That's how it is."

Ruby sniffed and hung her head. "You know, Eyepatch…" she said quietly. "I really thought that I could get them to forgive you. I thought that if I worked hard enough, we could all get along."

Kaneki felt another stab at his heart. "I'm sorry, Ruby," he muttered.

Ruby shook her head. "Don't apologize, Eyepatch. If that's really what you think…" Abruptly, her head snapped up to face him, eyes blazing. "Then I haven't been working hard enough!"

Kaneki jolted. _What?_ Whatever he'd been expecting, this wasn't it.

Ruby leaped from the bench determinedly. "Everyone makes mistakes, Eyepatch! You were hurt, and hungry, and you couldn't help it. I know the others still don't trust you, but I _know_ you're not a bad guy!"

Kaneki stared at her, just barely keeping his mouth from dropping open. "Ruby, I—"

"Just wait, Eyepatch!" Ruby started pacing, slamming her fist into the palm of her hand excitedly. "I'll get the rest of the team to trust you! And then we'll all be friends, and go on missions, and bake cookies!" She whirled to face him, chest heaving, cheeks flushed with fervor. "And it'll be _great!"_

Ruby held her pose for several seconds, breathing so hard her shoulders shook. Kaneki blinked, bewildered. And then he did something even he wasn't expecting: he started laughing.

It wasn't cynical laughter, and it wasn't at Ruby's expense. Kaneki laughed because he simply couldn't help himself. _She really_ is _a child,_ he thought. _But she's determined._

Ruby stomped her foot. "Hey!" She whined. "I'm being serious!"

Kaneki let his laughter die out, but didn't stop smiling. "I know," he chuckled. "It's just that...I can't eat any cookies we make, you know."

Ruby abruptly deflated. "Oh yeah. You can't." After a moment, she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Doesn't matter! You can still bake them!"

Kaneki laughed again. He had no idea how she managed, but Ruby almost always put him in a good mood. _She really is so much like Hinami._ "I'd like that," he said, pushing himself up from the bench.

Ruby smiled and, after a moment, uncrossed her arms. "Good. Do you feel a bit better, Eyepatch?"

Kaneki nodded.

"Are you ready to go back?"

Kaneki's smile slid off of his face like melting ice. Although he _did_ feel a bit better, he wasn't sure that he was ready to go back to the lunchroom.

Ruby seemed to sense his hesitance. "We don't have to go back to the lunchroom. Class is starting soon, anyway. We can go right there."

Kaneki nodded. "That would be nice."

Ruby nodded decisively. "Alright, then. Let's go!" She turned on her heel and marched down the path, Kaneki trailing behind her. When she reached the hedge, she turned to the corner—and abruptly halted. "Yang! What are you doing here?"

Kaneki peeked over her shoulder. Yang was standing around the corner of the hedge, looking somewhat sheepish. It didn't take a genius to figure out she'd been eavesdropping. _Fantastic._

"Hey, Ruby," Yang muttered. "I just, uh, wanted to make sure you weren't...late for class." She glanced Kaneki's way, before hurriedly fixing her eyes on her sister again.

Ruby seemed to accept the explanation. "Thanks, Yang." She turned around and gestured down the path. "Come on, Eyepatch. Let's go. Don't wanna be late for class!"

Kaneki nodded and followed after her. Yang fell into step behind both of them. The entire walk back to the main building, he could feel her eyes burning a hole in his shirt.


	6. Post Traumatic Stress Disassociation

**Hello, everyone! Let me tell you, it feels weird to be back so soon.**

 **Now, I've never said it before, but I just wanted to thank each and every one of the people that followed my story and rocketed me to second most popular in this section. And most of all, a big, BIG thank you to With Death Comes More Death, for always helping me out. You all rock!**

 **Now, then...COMMENT REVIEW TIME!**

 **Heretical: Yay!**

 **desdelor97: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **CjHoax: I'm not giving anything away. And you're welcome.**

 **IlluminatiAnimeLover789: A little someone said they wanted Kaneki to interact with the world more, so I provided. And yeah, Cardin's the worst. I'd actually forgotten what an irredeemable scumbag he was, but I've been rewatching the series and it all came back. He's the actual worst. And the shipping material...that's a touchy subject. I've never been great at writing romance. Like, at all. In all the stories I've ever written, EVER, I've only had characters kiss twice. But that doesn't mean there won't be a little sumthin for the shippers in later chapters.**

 **UnflinchingResolve: Here you go!**

 **Draven007: Oh, don't worry. It's coming. I just want a real good buildup. Trust me, when it happens, it's gonna be HUGE.**

 **Greer123: No spoilers! ;) And thanks! Glad you liked it!**

 **Nobody Important: Shoot. Apologies, miss. And hey, don't sell yourself short. Good writing takes time. Just practice as much as you can.**

 **jy24: No spoilers ;)**

 **Dr4g0nb411z: Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

 **ander1998: Thank you!**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Uh, about that...you know what, just read this chapter.**

 **pre74: He can feel bad, but he doesn't know this girl. Plus,we got RWBY keeping him on that short short leash. And you see, I had a headcanon about Aura due to some things from episodes, that actually was confirmed canon in Volume 5! Aura has to be consciously held up.**

 **DorkSideoftheMoon: I know, right? Like, he's an actual racist and attempted to throw wasps on someone! Wasps! Also, the next big thing, you say? I'm not gonna spoil anything. Also also, ding ding! You get a prize for figuring out the title! The prize is...me saying you figured out the title! Yay!**

 **forthose8675309: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **MysteriousRed: Patience, Iago. Patience.**

 **TravisUmbra: Actually gonna have to correct you. He never got his nails ripped off by Jason. But thank you, and you too!**

 **FairyTailWzard: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **1 One Piece Fan: Well, here you go!**

 **VideoMaster166: Here you go!**

 **Sturdivant: Yeah, Ozpin** _ **may**_ **have ulterior motives, but no spoilers!**

 **Guest: Thank you! And here you are!**

 **xanothos: Yep.**

 **dlight: LOL. The anime. That's a good one. Top kek.**

 **Now, I hope you guys are ready. Things are about to get real. LET THE STORY BEGIN!**

* * *

"Prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Faunus War, humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Faunus population in Menagerie." Oobleck smacked his pointer against the board, directly over the island of Menagerie depicted on the map. He then took a quick swig of his coffee and hurtled to the front of the room at breakneck speed.

He did that a lot, Kaneki noted. He wrote down the professor's newest comment as quickly as he could.

All things considered, coming back for class hadn't been as mortifying as Kaneki had expected. Most of the students pretended that nothing had happened. A few gave him sympathetic or uncomfortable looks and nothing else. Nora had come up to him, uncharacteristically somber, and quietly apologized for startling him. Surprised (and slightly alarmed that the usually bombastic girl sounded as if she'd just run over a dog), he accepted the apology and assured her it wasn't her fault.

Of course, there _were_ irritations. The main one being Cardin Winchester. The look on his face when Kaneki entered the classroom was as if he'd won the lottery. Every now and again, he'd glance Kaneki's way, grin, and wiggle his fingers at him.

Still, Kaneki was determined to forgot the whole ordeal. As such, he was doing the only thing he currently could: throwing himself into schoolwork in order to stay distracted.

"Now! While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why, repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!" Oobleck took another slurp of his coffee. "Now, have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?"

A few students, including a hesitant Velvet, raised their hands. Kaneki took a cursory glance around the room and noted that every Faunus had raised their hand. He felt a swell of pity.

Oobleck shook his head. "Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember students, it is _precisely_ this kind of ignorance that breeds violence." _Sluuurp._ "I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to the White Fang!"

Kaneki perked up. The White Fang was something he had found particularly interesting in his Remnant studies. From what he could tell, it was almost the Remnant equivalent of Aogiri Tree: a group of Faunus which, at the start, had been largely peaceful, but over time had become more and more violent, and were now known for focused attacks against human corporations.

Kaneki got his pencil ready in case Oobleck decided to elaborate, but the professor simply zipped across the room. "Now," he said, "which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?" He glanced a few rows above Kaneki's head. "Ms. Schnee?"

"The Battle of Fort Castle," Weiss answered.

Oobleck nodded. "Precisely! And who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagoon's forces?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaneki saw Cardin crumple up a small piece of paper and throw it at the back of Jaune's head. The blond, who had been sleeping for nearly the entire class period, snapped awake. "Wha—!"

Oobleck was on him in an instant. "Mr. Arc, finally contributing to class!" He exclaimed, slapping his hands on Jaune's desk and leaning forward until their faces were nearly touching. "This is excellent, _excellent_! What is the answer?"

Jaune shrank back, eyes darting around the room. "The answer...the advantage the Faunus had over that...guy's stuff…" He caught sight of Pyrrha making circles around her eyes. "Uh, binoculars!"

There was a round of laughter around the classroom, Cardin's being the loudest of all. Kaneki cringed slightly. _Maybe I should convince Pyrrha to tutor him._

Oobleck shook his head and sighed. "Very funny, Mr. Arc." He rounded on Cardin. "Mr. Winchester? Perhaps _you_ would care to share your thoughts on the subject?"

Cardin rocked his chair back and forth on its edges, idly scratching his temple. "Well, I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier," he remarked off-handedly.

Following his statement was a second of the loudest silence Kaneki had ever heard. He could practically feel the twitch in the eye of every Faunus in the room. "You're not the most open-minded individual, are you Cardin?" Pyrrha said loudly.

Cardin glowered at her. "What? You got a problem?"

"No. I have the answer." Pyrrha turned back to Professor Oobleck. "It's night vision. Many Faunus are known to have near-perfect sight in the dark."

Blake, who had been largely silent all class, chose this moment to contribute. "General Lagoon was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched, and the General was captured." She glanced Cardin's way contemptuously. "Perhaps, if he'd paid attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as _such_ a failure."

Cardin stood from his seat, hands curled into fists. For a second, Kaneki was legitimately worried he'd attack one of the girls.

"Mr. Winchester," Oobleck said, voice tired but no less stern. "Please, take your seat."

Cardin stood where he was for just a second too long, scowled viciously, and sat back down. Kaneki didn't bother hiding his smirk. Jaune snickered.

Oobleck darted back to Jaune's table. "You _and_ Mr. Arc can both see me after class for additional readings."

Jaune's face fell, and he groaned, dropping his head onto his desk. Oobleck drank his coffee, unperturbed.

"Now! Moving on…"

* * *

"Come _on_ , Eyepatch," Weiss called impatiently. "Let's go!"

Kaneki hurried towards the door where team RWBY was waiting, tucking the last of his notes into his bag. "Sorry," he muttered, fastening the bag shut absentmindedly.

Weiss hmphed _._ "Be a bit quicker next time." She turned on her heel and followed the others out of the classroom.

Kaneki hastened to follow, only to stop dead when her heard Pyrrha call out. "Just a minute, Eyepatch!"

Kaneki turned and saw Pyrrha hurrying towards the door. "Can I borrow Eyepatch for a little bit?"

The four girls stopped so suddenly it was almost comical. As one, they turned, faces varying degrees of mingled curiosity and shock. " _Borrow_ him?" Weiss echoed indignantly. "What for?"

Pyrrha rubbed her arm. "I just...I'd like to talk for him a little bit. Privately."

Before Kaneki could say anything, Yang shook her head. "Sorry, Pyrrha, but Ruby wants us—"

"It's fine!" Ruby said loudly. Yang's mouth closed with an audible _click._ "You know the way back to the room, Eyepatch. Come there as soon as you're done, okay?"

Kaneki stared at the young girl, who looked right back with an almost overly bright smile. Ozpin had made it very clear that he wanted Kaneki watched at all times, and although Pyrrha was easily the most skilled fighter in her year (almost intimidatingly so), Kaneki doubted he wanted RWBY to leave him alone.

And yet...the idea of being away from RWBY, even if it was only for a few minutes, was tempting. Too tempting.

He nodded. "I will. Thank you."

Ruby nodded right back, then turned. "Come on, guys! Let's go!" She strode down the hall, leaving the rest of her team to pick their jaws off the floor and follow after her. Yang shot Kaneki a threatening glance before leaving, an unspoken challenge to try and cause trouble.

Right as the four girls rounded the corner, Ren and Nora left the classroom. They made towards Pyrrha, but she waved them away. "Eyepatch and I are going to wait for Jaune, okay?"

Nora nodded. "You got it, Pyrrha!" She gave Kaneki a thumbs up before walking away with Ren, chattering about how many centipedes you'd need to actually have a hundred legs between them. Ren stayed quiet, glancing cautiously at Kaneki as he left.

With that, Kaneki and Pyrrha were alone. The redhead wasted no time in turning to him, expression wrought with worry. "Are you okay, Eyepatch?" She asked.

Kaneki barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _I should have expected this. It almost makes me wish Ruby had said no._ "Yes," he answered, adjusting his bag on his shoulder and grazing his chin in the process.

Pyrrha shook her head. "Please don't lie to me. What happened in the cafeteria earlier—"

Kaneki cut her off. "I know how it looked, Pyrrha, but I promise, I'm okay." He sighed and rubbed his chin absentmindedly. "Nora just scared me and brought up some...bad memories. It's nothing I can't deal with."

Pyrrha stared at him for a long moment. "Okay," she said finally. "If you're sure."

Kaneki glanced away uncomfortably. _I don't want to talk about this._ "You should be more worried about Jaune," he said, anxious to change the subject. "He's pretty disappointed about today."

Pyrrha sighed heavily, before leaning back against the wall and crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes were cloudy and unfocused. "He shouldn't be." She slowly slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor.

Kaneki walked up to her and, when she gave no indication that she objected, took a seat next to her. "You and I know that, but he doesn't. That loss hit him hard. He probably feels like all his training was for nothing."

Pyrrha stared at her hands, before clenching her fists angrily. "It's just—he won't listen! He thinks that he should be better right away, but he can't even see how much he's improved! All he can see is Cardin standing above him." She dropped her hands, wrapping them tight around her knees. "I just don't know how I can make him realize that."

The two sat there in silence for several minutes. Kaneki racked his brain. trying to think of something he could say. _She's right. Jaune's not going to be happy as long as he's basing his self-worth on his ability to beat Cardin. And if he won't listen to his team, it's just going to get worse._

Kaneki knew what it was like to let fear of inadequacy consume you. Jaune had been kind to him; he wasn't going to let him fall into the same hole. _But how can we make him realize that he's just as capable as the other students?_

As if someone had flipped a switch, Kaneki realized what to say. "He belongs here, too," he blurted.

Pyrrha lifted her head. "I'm sorry?"

Kaneki straightened up against the wall. "Jaune got to this school for a reason," he said. "This whole time, he's been seeing himself as someone with something to prove, but he's not any less worthy than Cardin. Tell him that."

Pyrrha furrowed her brow. "That's true...but do you think that will be enough?"

Kaneki shook his head. "It doesn't need to be enough, not yet. It just needs to be something."

For the first time in their conversation, Pyrrha smiled. Her expression was still strained, but some of the misery had left her eyes. "Thank you, Eyepatch. And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have dropped so much on you—"

Kaneki held up a hand to silence her. "I'm glad you did." He pushed himself up. "Jaune's lucky to have you as his friend."

As he spoke, a blur of white and green—Professor Oobleck—came rocketing out of the room and immediately vanished from sight. Jaune followed behind him, much more slowly, head hung in obvious shame. Cardin sauntered up behind him. Before Kaneki or Pyrrha could move, he shoved Jaune hard from behind, sending his sprawling across the floor.

Pyrrha shot to her feet and helped Jaune up as Kaneki glowered at Cardin's retreating figure. "You know," she commented, "I really _will_ break his legs."

Jaune looked at her miserably and sighed, but didn't say anything.

Pyrrha's expression inexplicably brightened. "I have an idea!" She grabbed Jaune by the arm. "Come with me!" She dragged him down the hall, in the opposite direction Ren and Nora had gone, stopping just long enough to turn and wave at Kaneki. "Goodbye, Eyepatch! And thank you!"

Kaneki watched the two of them go. His chest felt warm, as if someone had lit a candle between his ribs. _I hope he listens to her. Jaune's a good person. He deserves to be happy._

Abruptly remembering what Ruby had said, Kaneki sighed, turned around, and started walking down the hall. _I hope Pyrrha doesn't tell him about what happened in the cafeteria. He's the only person who hasn't looked at me like I'm made of glass._ Lost in thought, Kaneki turned the corner—

And walked head-first into one of Cardin's teammates.

He bounced off the boy's chest and nearly fell over backwards. Shaking his head, Kaneki blinked a few times and saw that Cardin's entire team was gathered in front of him, smirking. In the front was Cardin. He had a strange expression on his face; Kaneki realized very quickly he'd seen the same one on Nishio, a split second before he'd roundhouse kicked Hide down an alley.

 _Fuck._

Kaneki understood what was about to happen a split second too late. Two of the boys surged forwards, each one grabbing him by an arm. A third quickly ran around and wrapped his arms around Kaneki's middle. He immediately started to struggle, but the combined strength of the three was enough to keep him helpless. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck_ _ **FUCK!**_

Cardin stood in front of Kaneki, smirking. "Come on, guys," he drawled. "Let's go somewhere a bit more...private."

The others chortled and started dragging Kaneki down the hall. He fought them all the way, kicking and thrashing, fear swirling in his gut like ice water. " _Let me g—!"_

The boy holding his right arm quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. "Shut it," he growled.

Kaneki instantly snapped the boy's hand, biting him between thumb and index finger. Clearly, the boy hadn't been expecting it: his Aura broke immediately. He yelped and jerked away, hand bleeding. "He bit me!"

Kaneki spat a wad of bloody saliva on the floor as contemptuously as he could. He redoubled his efforts to break free, and very nearly succeeded, but the boy holding his stomach briefly loosed one arm and whacked him across the head, so hard he saw stars. He went limp, head spinning mercilessly.

The three boys dragged him back down the hallway and into Professor Oobleck's now-empty classroom. Laughing, they shoved him against the whiteboard. "What's wrong, Patches?" Cardin sneered. "Not gonna say anything? No bullshit fortune cookie quote this time?"

Kaneki blinked away the last of his disorientation, rage rising in his chest like venom. " _Fuck you_ ," he spat.

Cardin shook his head, almost sadly. "You know, Patches," he said slowly. "I've hated that attitude of your's since the first time I saw you." He started pacing. "First, you act like a tough guy. Then you try and stick up for Jauney-boy. What is he, your boyfriend?" When Kaneki didn't answer, he paused mid-step. "Well? Answer me!"

Kaneki laughed. "What, are you jealous?"

Cardin's expression soured. He motioned for the boy holding Kaneki's stomach to lift his arms, then socked Kaneki in the gut. He doubled over, coughing. "That's exactly what I'm talking about."

 _I can't use my kagune to get out of this._ Kaneki managed to suck in a wheezing breath and lifted his head. _And if he grabs my hands_ —His train of thought ground to a screeching halt.

Yang was standing in the doorway.

She was frozen, one hand still on the doorknob, looking as if she'd wandered in on something she shouldn't have. Slowly, painfully, her eyes travelled from Kaneki to Cardin's team, to Cardin himself, then back to Kaneki. Her mouth dropped open, but she didn't say anything.

It didn't matter why she was there. Kaneki locked eyes with Yang, silently pleading. _I know you don't like me, but please. Help me._

She didn't move. She stood there, unmoving, not even blinking, watching as Cardin and his friends held him down and _why wasn't she doing something?_

Cardin stepped into Kaneki's field of vision, blocking Yang from sight. "Now," he sneered. "We're gonna play a game. You've probably played it before. It's called, 'This Little Piggy.'" He stood in front of Kaneki and clasped his hands behind his back. "And since I'm so nice, I'll let you pick which hand."

For a brief, horrifying second, it was Yamori, not Cardin, standing before Kaneki. He looked just as Kaneki remembered him: stiff blond hair, pale yellow suit stained with blood, and a wide, froglike smile beneath a fat nose and two bulging eyes. "What's it gonna be?" He sneered. "The left, or the right?"

Kaneki's heart skipped a beat. _What the hell?! That was...Did I imagine that?_

"Well?" Cardin flickered away again, becoming Yamori for just a second. "Pick one!"

Kaneki started hyperventilating. _No. No no no, this can't be happening. He's not real. He's dead! Yamori is_ dead!"C-Cardin," he stammered. "Please, stop."

Cardin grinned so widely it threatened to split his face. This time, it was Yamori that spoke, eyes bulging out madly from behind his mask. _"Guess it'll have to be both, then."_ He reached out for Kaneki's hand, moving justenough for Kaneki to see the mother and child bound behind him, tears streaking down their faces—

When Kaneki blinked, they were gone, but that didn't stop him from struggling once more. "Cardin, _please!"_ He begged, not even caring about the lump rising in his throat. "I'm sorry, okay? Don't do this!"

Cardin paused, feigning interest. " _How_ sorry are you?" He said slowly.

Kaneki grimaced. Pleading left a bad taste in his mouth, but he had no idea what would happen if he had another flashback. He might lose control and kill CRDL, and if he did, Ozpin would turn him over to the police, and he'd never get back to Japan. "I'll say whatever you want." He muttered, finally going limp and hanging his head.

Cardin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. _"Anything?"_ He grinned. "Hey guys. Anything you'd like Patches to say?"

The three boys started laughing. "How about he tells us what a loser he is?" The one holding Kaneki's left arm sneered.

"I'm a loser!" Kaneki said immediately. "I'm a loser, I'm worthless garbage, I was an idiot for ever pretending I was anything else!"

Cardin howled with laughter. "That's great!" He wiped his eyes. "I really liked that garbage part. Tell you what. Keep saying that, and maybe I'll let you go."

Kaneki didn't even have the will to be angry. Dully, he started chanting. "I'm worthless garbage. I'm worthless garbage. I'm worthless garbage." His face went hot with shame, but at the same time, ice gripped his heart. There was something all too familiar about this moment...

"—nine-hundred sixty-five, nine-hundred fifty-eight, nine-hundred fifty-one…"

Kaneki trailed off as he realized that, at some point, he'd switched from words to numbers. CRDL had fallen silent. Frighteningly silent.

Cardin looked at Kaneki for a moment, confused, but smirking. "Oooh, so close." He sighed theatrically. "Sorry, Patches. Looks like we're doing this anyway." Without much fanfare, he reached out and snagged Kaneki's wrist.

Every nerve in Kaneki's arm seemed to scream at once. He jerked away as if he'd been scalded, so suddenly that he almost managed to break free. The room started to blur and bleed like a watercolor painting. Even now, terrified and disoriented as he was, Kaneki didn't scream. He couldn't scream.

The pathetic whine that came from his mouth almost made him wish he _had_ screamed. " _Please…"_

Cardin sneered. "Alright, Patches. Time to play." He grabbed hold of Kaneki's finger and twisted it like he was trying to break it at the joint. "This little piggy went to _market_!"

The room bled to red, the hands around his arms turned to cuffs, and Kaneki was shoved down into hell.

 _Yamori loomed over Kaneki, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Pinched between his fingers was a writhing, squirming centipede, easily the length of Kaneki's palm, with dozens of clawed, clicking legs and a head topped with two gnashing pincers._

" _The Chinese red-headed centipede. Have you heard of it? They make up the class of the largest centipedes in Japan." Yamori shook the centipede, sending it into a fresh fit of squirming. "The big ones can be over twenty centimeters."_

 _His next words froze Kaneki's blood solid._

" _I'm gonna try putting this guy in your ear, alright?"_

 _Kaneki didn't even try to break free: he was so terrified that all he could do was tremble. "Please...Stop…" he whimpered, voice rising hysterically. "Please, not that, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't—!"_

 _In one quick motion, Yamori crammed the centipede into Kaneki's ear. An instant later, a strip of cloth was tied tight around Kaneki's head, trapping him in darkness and preventing the centipede from escaping._

 _The sound, the sound, the_ sound _was the worst part—a thick, heavy crunching that seemed to burrow to the center of his skull. The centipede dragged itself down his ear canal, inch by bloated, squirming inch, biting at every bit of flesh it touched. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt: a burning, nauseating itch that he couldn't scratch._

 _Far off in the distance, Kaneki could hear someone laughing—wild, choked, and utterly insane. It wasn't until he gasped for air that he realized it was him._

" _Kill me...Please, kill me…"_

"Cardin, _stop!_ "

The chair disappeared from underneath Kaneki, and suddenly he was falling. He hit cold tile with a bone-jarring _smack_ and immediately scrambled backwards, eyes darting around frantically. The room had been reduced to foggy shapes and flickering stripes of red. Phantom handcuffs chafed at his wrists. The smell of blood and sweat hung in the air like a corpse.

"What?" Kaneki couldn't tell who was speaking: the voices in the room had taken on a muffled, wet quality, as if his ears were filled with blood. "We were just having a little fun. No harm done, right guys?"

A dark figure took two rapid steps forward and raised their hand. There was a sharp _smack_ that echoed through the air like a gunshot. "You _idiot,_ " the figure seethed. "Are you trying to get yourself _killed?"_

Four of the figures bristled in apparent anger. "What the hell are you talking about?" The one in the front demanded.

A pale, ghostly figure crossed their arms. _"_ Oh, _I_ don't know. Maybe she's implying that it's a _bad_ idea to trigger a psychotic episode in someone trained to _kill_ things _?_ " Their voice was as dry as a piece of dry ice.

A person dressed in green stepped forward. "You need to _leave_ , Cardin. If you don't—"

Someone shoved past them. "We'll break your legs!"

There was a long moment where the only sound Kaneki could hear was his own wildly thumping heart. Finally, someone scoffed. "Whatever. Let's go, guys."

The four figures left the room, leaving Kaneki alone with the others.

A blurry figure with blonde hair loomed over him. As they drew closer, a white hockey mask flickered over their face. "Eyepatch?" they growled, lifting a hand that ended in metal claws.

Kaneki shoved the figure away with all the force he could muster. _"Stay away from me!"_ He scrambled to his knees, desperately trying to stand and run, but his legs had turned to water. He made it only halfway before collapsing in a heap.

The figure Kaneki had shoved surged forward, grabbed hold of his shoulder, and pushed him against the wall. "Nora! Help me hold him!"

Kaneki struggled, but a second figure grabbed his other shoulder and pinned him down. He kicked, he thrashed, he snapped at empty air; nothing would work. _"GET OFF!"_ he screamed. _"GET OFF OF ME!"_

A purple-haired woman in a white dress danced into view, smiling impishly from over one of the figure's shoulders. _"It's fantastic you're so kind,"_ Rize purred. _"_ That's _why you're here, you know."_

She was right. He wasn't going to escape unless he fought with everything he had. He _needed_ to summon his kagune. The skin of his back started to bubble and split—

"Ren, do it!"

Someone pressed a hand on his head. Kaneki jumped, but the hand was gentle. After a moment, a dull warmth spread from the palm. It washed over Kaneki like a wave, calming his racing heart. All the angry, frantic emotions boiling in his chest drained away. His mind cleared.

In about a minute or so, Kaneki was able to breathe normally again.

He blinked once or twice, readjusting to his surroundings. Yang and Nora each had a shoulder and were holding him down. Ren was kneeling in front of him, hand still placed on his head. Gathered behind him were Blake, Ruby, and Weiss. "Can you hear me, Eyepatch?" Ren murmured.

Kaneki looked away, face burning with shame. Now that he was able to think clearly, his actions came back to him in a rush. Unwilling to speak, he nodded.

Ren straightened up and removed his hand. "Do you want to tell us what just happened?"

Kaneki shook his head. "Could...could you two let go of me, please?" He muttered.

Nora let go almost immediately, but Yang lingered just a second too long, as if she was worried he'd start panicking again. "What was _that_ , Eyepatch?" She demanded, finally letting go and straightening up.

Kaneki didn't speak. He wasn't sure he could have, even if he wanted to: his tongue felt heavy and numb. After a moment, Yang huffed in irritation, but before she could demand an answer—

"It's post-traumatic stress disorder."

Every head in the room, Kaneki's included, turned towards Weiss simultaneously.

Weiss gazed coolly back. "My sister works in the Atlas military. She's seen it before." She looked Kaneki up and down, expression disdainful and—was that _pity?_ "Hallucinations triggered by reminders of past trauma. In his case, people grabbing his hands."

There was a moment of silence as everyone took that in. Surprisingly, it was Nora who spoke next. "Eyepatch, is that true?"

Kaneki didn't answer right away. He didn't _want_ to answer at all. "I'd...I'd rather not talk about it," he mumbled, pushing himself to his feet. _This is just perfect. I can't even control myself for one goddamn day?!_

"Tough," Yang snapped. "If you're going to be freaking out like that, then we should know why!"

Kaneki ground his teeth together. Despite whatever Ren had done to calm him down (his Semblance, most likely) his nerves were still shot, and Yang was _not_ helping. He felt his kagune, inactive for so long, threatening to burst from his spine. "Can we just go back to the dormitory, _please?"_ He stressed, struggling to control his irritation.

To his surprise, after a moment, Yang seemed to shrink back a bit. "Fine," she spat, looking away irritatedly. "But don't get comfortable."

Kaneki took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling his kagune settle. "Thank you." He glanced around the room. Yang had already turned to leave, Blake was inching closer to her like she was afraid Kaneki would notice her moving; Ren and Nora were sharing a conversation that Kaneki didn't try to make out, and Weiss was watching him with that same strange mix of irritation and sympathy.

Ruby walked up to him. She raised her hand, like she wanted to it on his shoulder, but changed her mind at the last second. Her hand was left hovering awkwardly mid-air. "Come on, Eyepatch. Let's get you a cup of coffee."

Kaneki nodded mutely and allowed himself to be led from the room. The entire way, he kept his eyes glued to the floor, unwilling to look at anyone.

It didn't matter, anyway: he could tell, even now, that they were all looking at him.

* * *

Yang slammed the door to the dorm room shut. "Eyepatch. Living room. _Now._ "

Emotionally drained as he was, Kaneki didn't object. He made his way to the living room, unable to muster up the enthusiasm for a pace any faster than a crawl. RWBY followed behind him. The four took a seat on the couch, while Kaneki slumped into a chair, suddenly bone tired.

Ruby cleared her throat. "I'll, uh...I'll make some coffee." She stood up and headed over to the kitchenette. There was a long silence, during which no one made eye contact. After a minute, the faint bubbling of the coffee maker filled the room, along with the smell of fresh coffee.

Ruby came back to the group, holding a coffee mug. She placed it down in front of Kaneki, then sat back down. Kaneki immediately picked up the mug and drank. He barely swallowed both the mouthful and his grimace: the coffee was subpar and _full_ of sugar. Still, the comfort and somewhat familiar taste, not to mention the honest good intentions behind them, was appreciated.

"Alright, Eyepatch," Yang said. "I'm only gonna ask once. What the heck happened back there?"

Kaneki stared at the cup of coffee in his hand, wishing, not for the first time, that he was back at Anteiku. "I know you want answers, Yang. But this is something I'd _really_ rather not talk about."

Yang shook her head. "Too bad. You said to go back to the dorms. We're back. Now _talk_."

Kaneki took another sip and set his mug down on the coffee table. "Let me ask you something. Why do you and Ruby have different last names, if you're sisters? Did your mother divorce and remarry?"

Yang jerked back like he'd slapped her, and Kaneki could tell instantly that he'd struck a nerve. "I—we—that's not any of your business!" she snapped.

Kaneki nodded. "You're right, it isn't." Yang opened her mouth to speak, but he kept going. "Just like how my past isn't any of your's."

Yang glared at him. Blake shot her a meaningful glance. "He's got you there," she muttered.

Yang shook her head as if she had water in her ears. "Don't pull that. When you're freaking out and attacking people,then it _is_ my business."

Something deep in Kaneki's gut went _snap._ Anger bubbled up in his chest like lava, thick and hot. "Really?" The words poured from his mouth before he could stop himself. "You didn't seem to think it was any of your business earlier. That's why you didn't step in, _right?"_

It was as if Kaneki had set off a bomb. The silence that followed his sentence was earsplitting. Ruby, Blake, and Weiss all looked at Yang. Yang herself sat as still as a statue. She didn't move, didn't speak, she hardly seemed to breathe.

"Yang?" Ruby said hesitantly. "What is he talking about?"

Kaneki laughed bitterly. "Yang got to the classroom before you did. She was standing outside the door." He hurled his next words like they were knives. "She _watched."_

Kaneki could see the horror dawning on the group. "Is that true?" Blake asked quietly.

Yang looked at each of her teammates in turn, eyes wide and desperate, mouth opening and closing like a gasping fish. When she finally did speak, her words tumbled out like water. "Listen, I was there for a _minute_ —"

"And you didn't think of stepping in and stopping CRDL?" Weiss interrupted.

"Hey, don't turn this on me!" Yang shot to her feet, face as red as her eyes. "I panicked, okay? What was I supposed to do? Take them all on?"

Blake stood as well, stepping towards Yang until they were barely a hand's width apart. "Come and find us? Get a teacher? Anything but just...just _stand_ there!"

Kaneki saw Yang's fists clench and suddenly regretted losing his temper. _"Why are you on his side, Blake?!"_ She thundered.

Weiss shot to her feet. "Because _she_ understands what _you_ aren't, Yang!" She exploded. "What if he lost it? What if he hurt someone? _Killed_ someone? We're supposed to be watching him so that he doesn't do what he did to Blake to someone else!"

The words stung, but not a lot; Kaneki knew she was right.

Yang flinched back, mouth snapping shut. Kaneki could see the gears turning in her head. Desperate, she turned to the only person who hadn't gotten up. "Ruby…" she pleaded.

Ruby was staring at her sister with the most heartbreaking expression Kaneki had ever seen on her. It was the face of someone who'd just been hurt by someone they thought the world of. "We're supposed to help people, Yang. That's why we're here." She stood up and shook her head sadly. "We're not supposed to _watch_."

Yang's expression went from hopeful to absolutely devastated. "Ruby, I—"

"I don't care, Yang," Ruby said softly. She abruptly pushed past her teammates and left the room, leaving Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Kaneki behind.

There was a moment of silence, before Yang whipped towards Kaneki, expression full of loathing. "I hope you're happy about this," she hissed, before stomping out of the room. A second later, the front door slammed shut so hard Kaneki swore he heard a _crack._

Kaneki stared at the doorway, wishing with all his heart that he hadn't said anything.


	7. Apostasy of the Status Quo

**Hello, everyone! So, you'll be happy to hear that I've got the next four chapters (including this one) all scoped out. I'm hoping to finish Volume 1 by the end of the year!**

 **And ah, yes, it's finally happened. The controversy. The chapter where the masses wail and gnash their teeth. It happened to Death, and now it's happening to me. The cries of 'OOC!' fill the air. I am not deaf to your cries, dear readers. But please, before you write me off for good, allow me the chance to explain myself.**

 **So, for the first time ever, let's address the audience concerns in...EXPLANATION HOUR!**

' **Yang is too mean/bitchy/OOC': Yang had been described, by the show's writers, as someone who would "teach someone to swim by throwing them in the deep end". She is, at her core, a violent person. However, through Volumes 1-3, she is almost never presented with an opponent that isn't either a Grimm, a felon, or someone she isn't allowed to punch, so you don't see this side of her until late in the game. She snapped Mercury's leg because she thought he was going to kick her. Yes, I know it was a fake leg, but she did not know this. From her viewpoint, someone tried to kick her, and she snapped his leg and felt** _ **no**_ **remorse. Even afterwards, she only gets upset because no one believes that he attacked her first (which he didn't, but you all know the story). In Volume 5, she knocks a guy's tooth out for trying to touch her hair. I'm not saying I dislike Yang as a character. In fact, I really like her. However, saying that she can't be nasty is just plain wrong.**

' **Kaneki is too weak/a little bitch/OOC': Okay, first and foremost. There is a difference between Post-Aogiri White Hair Kaneki ™, and Post-Kanou Raid White Hair Kaneki ™. Post-Kanou Raid Kaneki, the one in this story, was starting to realize that maybe brute force and constant violence weren't the best way to solve his problems, especially since this involves pushing away the people in his life. Using his kagune and violently skewering CRDL not only means losing the little friendship he has with Ruby and JNPR, but having Ozpin send him to** _ **prison.**_ **Meaning he can't get home. Also, on the physical side, not only can Kaneki not use his kagune (which it already a big strength damper) he hasn't eaten ghoul flesh in weeks. He's eating** _ **just**_ **enough to stay alive at this point. He is not firing at full capacity. And as for him feeling bad, Kaneki is, at his core, someone who believes he's selfish and doesn't deserve to be happy, so yeah. He feels bad.**

' **CRDL is too strong/mean/OOC': This is the one that's surprised me the most, to be honest. Cardin himself has done plenty: openly harassed Faunus, compared Faunus to animals, tried to set a swarm of wasps on another student, and openly stated that he hopes** **Jaune gets** _ **eaten**_ **by a Grimm. Dude's a psychopath. And, much like Henry from IT, his friends are all either fellow psychopaths or too scared of their leader to say anything. Y'all better believe they would have triggered Jaune's PTSD if he had it. As for the argument of their strength, although they're aren't JNPR or CFVY level, they're still at least low-mid tier. I know Pyrrha kicked their butts, but at her best she went toe to toe with a Maiden for five minutes, someone strong enough to take down Ozpin.**

 **Ultimately, I don't even really need to post these. These are Kaneki and Yang, interpreted as I believe they should be. I'll listen to you all, I promise, but when it comes right down to it, this is a matter of conflicting interpretations. Until I do something ridiculous (which, even the people that think I'm doing a bad job will hopefully agree I** _ **haven't**_ **done yet) you can't convince me I've written them wrong, just like I can't convince you I've written them right.**

 **Aaaand now that I look back, this got way heavier than I meant it to. Sorry about that. How about we switch over to COMMENT REVIEW TIME!**

 **EVA-Saiyajin: A quick google search later, and yeah. Same.**

 **Touhou is Life: Sorry for the delay, Navi. Here you go!**

 **Sneky: Nah, not really. And I think you mean you HOPE he'll be around when it happens. Hehe.**

 **DorkSideoftheMoon: To be fair, Kaneki isn't fighting at anywhere near full capacity. He's been eating a single piece of human flesh a day for several weeks. His kakuja ain't happening at this point (no spoilers for future chapters, of course). Plus, I really don't know where the idea that Cardin is bottom tier came from. He's low-mid tier. His whole team together is probably mid-tier at best compared to the other kids. And the people of Remnant are weirdly strong compared to your average human. Remember the food fight scene? Remember Ruby lifting that Nevermore up a cliff? Three of them versus one kagune-less Kaneki means they've got him. I'm really glad you got what I was doing with Yang; some people think she did it out of malice, but that really isn't what I was going for. I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

 **superfanman217: Thank you!**

 **TravisUmbra: Nah, the fingers and toes came off. You're right on that level. And the RC cell question is a good one. I kind of have to assume yes, because if that wasn't the case he wouldn't be able to eat anything and the story wouldn't last any longer then Volume 1. Glad you liked it!**

 **EvilMagicMan: Gonna have to disagree. I wrote a big chunk about !canonYang at the start of the notes that summed up my thoughts. And yeah, Kaneki feels bad. He's a feel bad kinda boy. And yeah. Jaune is the easiest target because he's one of the weakest kids at Beacon. However, he was shown to hate Pyrrha for how talented she was. Kaneki is both talented and lacks Pyrrha's manners. So, upon discovering an easily exploitable weakness, he honed right the hell in. And you're actually right about the transcripts! Cardin didn't hear the convo. But just wait. I've got covers for that.**

 **FairyTailWzard: You have no idea how happy that makes me! I'm so glad you're enjoying this! Your sister as well! Tell her I said hi!**

 **TheWannabeWriter: Thank you so much! Glad you liked it!**

 **Sturdivant: No problem. Glad you liked the chapter!**

 **dlight: Actually, Kaneki does exhibit almost all of the common signs of PTSD in the manga! Social isolation, self-destructive behavior, guilt over situations largely outside his control, nightmares, emotional detachment, hallucinations. I could go on. I'll admit, the hand thing isn't** _ **strictly**_ **canon, but I can't think of a single instance in the manga where someone violently grabbed his hands post-Jason. So I took a bit of artistic liberty. And if I'm correct, at this point in his life Kaneki only has...four personalities, five if you count Centipede-kun.**

 **EctoAdler: Sorry this is late. But it's earlier then past chapters!**

 **MrCoconut666: I'm so glad you liked it! And no spoilers...but you might be closer than you think…**

 **CRAZYD1AMOND: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **jy24: Be patient. I promise, the karma will come.**

 **forthose8675309: Yay! Glad you liked it!**

 **IlluminateAnimeLover789: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! And I promise, Cardin will get his. Just give it a little more time…**

 **YeTianshi: Yeah, I've been hearing this all a lot. It's my fault. I was trying to imply that Yang didn't intervene due to conflicting emotions and not simple spite, but I'm thinking I wasn't clear enough. Sorry. I promise, Yang and Kaneki will have their eventual confrontation, and it's gonna be HUGE. Still, glad you enjoyed it!**

 **bassplayer123: I tried to imply that it wasn't exactly spiteful inaction (and to be fair, Kaneki is hardly an innocent), but I clearly didn't imply hard enough. As for other complaints, I addressed them in a big chunk at the beginning of these notes. If you're still around, give them a read, and maybe I can change your mind. If not, I will miss you T-T**

 **desdelor97: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **Tchami: Juuuuust wait. I promise, I promise, the karma boat is coming fast. Still, thank you, and I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Deishuu: THANK YOU! Someone FINALLY gets it! I'm so glad you liked it!**

 **MEMENTUM: Nope. I will never lie about the drama.**

 **UnflinchingResolve: All of this and more will happen.**

 **TexasBean: The karma is coming, I promise. Glad you liked it!**

 **Regale Rhythm: Thank you! For the compliment, AND for seeing Cardin for the psycho he is! Plus, I did say Ozpin's been providing him with food.**

 **Greer123: No spoilers, but probably not. Sorry.**

 **Tiberiuas: Possibly.**

 **Eotm: I will stand firmly by my belief that Cardin is a psychopath. I understand the wasps wouldn't have actually damaged Pyrrha, but it would have hurt. Plus, the forest is full of Grimm! You know what attracts Grimm? Suffering! Also, the people of Remnant are weirdly strong, and Kaneki isn't firing all cylinders.**

 **Matemeo3: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Petrus steamrock: Thank you!**

 **Hitler's Moustache: She actually is pretty mean to people she doesn't like. It's just that usually she's chill.**

 **Guest: No problem! Glad you liked it!**

 **Yo local Thug: Patience, Iago. Patience.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL**

 **Personas: To your first point, the people of Remnant are all weirdly strong. I mentioned in an earlier chapter that Kaneki was actually surprised at how strong Cardin was. I know characters like Yang and Pyrrha are obviously much stronger, but even Ruby lifted a Nevermore up a cliff (Weiss's glyphs probably helped, but there was visible drag). Plus, Kaneki has been living on a hamburger sized slab of human meat a day for several weeks, AND cannot use his kagune. So he is not operating at full capacity. To your second, I have no idea where this idea that they suck came from. They're not top tier, to be certain, but they aren't low tier either. They're like low mid tier. Pyrrha kicked their butts because, at full strength, she was able to hold her own against a MAIDEN for a good five minutes. The three of them against Kaneki operating at maybe...let's say 3/5 his best? They can hold him. To your third point...I'm going to respectfully disagree. Kaneki goes through so many mental breakdowns it's honestly hard to keep track. The hand thing isn't strictly canon, but can be reasonably implemented using textual evidence. He does, in fact, regularly insult himself and has begged before. To your fourth point, again gonna respectfully disagree. Kaneki is not a passive person when** _ **other**_ **people are involved. He actually does not care about himself.**

 **Videomaster166: At the moment, the plan is just one title.**

 **Nefarious Bear: I respectfully disagree, and raise you the Explanation Hour notes at the beginning.**

 **Nobody Important: Part of writing is being able to take and even accept criticism. I look forward to seeing your story, and I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

 **LostSoulWeeping: No spoilers, buuuuut….soon. And yeah, the plot threads are starting to get out of hand. But I will control them, dang it!**

 **Guest: Glad you liked it! Thank you!**

 **AlterMi: *tosses you a floatie***

 **Guest: Glad you liked it! And you'll have to wait and see…**

 **Heretical: I mean, in the spirit of fairness, we have people named Velvet, people named Peach, people named Qrow, and so on. Eyepatch is really only a bit stranger. But, I know what you mean, and I'll tell you right now. Soon.**

 **Plot Bull: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **KhanhM: I mean, he's tripped his fair share of balls in the manga. And when he's unable to fight, Kaneki has begged. You've seen the post Arima scene, in Cochlea? Pretty pathetic, if you ask me. Not knocking Kaneki, it's just that there really is no other word for it. In a situation where he can't fight back? I absolutely do think he'd act like that. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed some of it!**

 **Mysterious Red: Lol. Thank you!**

 **Silver III Jhin: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **SirDerp: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **SuperKamiEdgeLord: Puns are the best! And I might not have been foreshadowing what you think I was...**

 **senpen banka: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **Guest: They'd probably lose their collective shit.**

 **Heavenlyenigma: I'm sorry you feel that way.**

 **Guest: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **Shironeki98: Thank you so much! I'm really glad you liked it!**

 **kylC: I'm gonna hope this is a good thing?**

 **Marlo Fire: Yay! I'm so, so, SO happy you liked this! Thank you so much!**

 **Dr4g0nb411z: Trust me, it's gonna be feels all over the place. And thank you!**

 **Guest: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **Shanora98: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Lolilord: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **DD Soul: Thank you so much! Trust me, it took a long time to get here, and I'm still learning.**

 **FromTheUnknown: Sorry. This is how he is.**

 **RemaGeek: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **daemoniclover24: RAIGHT NOW, MUH FLAPJACK**

 **Good Lord, that was a lot of comments. Sixty-five, I think. Not that I'm complaining. Now, I** _ **promise,**_ **for anyone who thought Kaneki was too soft, and who wants that sweet revenge. It's coming. Like, within the next two chapters. So LET THE STORY BEGIN!**

* * *

Yang didn't come back until lights out. Kaneki had just settled onto his matress when she arrived, surprisingly quiet. She didn't say anything to anyone, or even stop; she tossed something to the floor near Ruby's bunk (probably her clothes), stepped into the bathroom, came out ten minutes later in her pajamas, and went to bed.

Honestly, Yang's uncharacteristically quiet behavior worried Kaneki more than her anger. Half of him thought she had fallen into some sort of depression; the other was sure she was plotting to snap his neck while he slept.

Kaneki wasn't even sure if he'd fight back if she did. In the long, quiet hours between Yang's departure and lights out, his emotions had become so heavy and tangled he could practically feel them weighing him down. They sat in his chest like a rock, a dark blend of regret, sadness, anger, indignation, and now more than ever, homesickness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt quite so wretched.

It took him a long time to fall asleep that night. And when he did, the nightmares came with a vengeance.

* * *

 _Kaneki was dragged into wakefulness by the familiar smell of blood and the rattle of chains around his wrists and ankles. He blinked disorientedly, spending several precious seconds in ignorance before reality crashed down around him. He was still at Aogiri, still in the chair, still trapped in a neverending hell._

 _Yamori, who was standing in front of him, held up a lump of something red and fleshy. "Lunchtime, Kaneki!" He said gleefully. He squeezed the lump, sending streams of red trickling between his fingers. "Make sure you eat it all. You have twenty fingers and toes to regrow!"_

 _Kaneki whimpered, shaking his head in rapid, twitchy jerks. "P-please...no more…" How many times had his fingers and toes regrown, pushing through his skin like saplings? Five times? Ten? He'd lost track. The thought of it happening again made his stomach twist in knots._

 _Oblivious to Kaneki's protests, Yamori shoved the lump of meat against his mouth. "Go on, eat it!"_

 _Kaneki pressed his lips shut as tightly as he could. Yamori growled, pulled the meat away, and dug two claws fingers into his mouth. Blood ran down Kaneki's chin as the sharp metal gouged into his skin. With a quick, painful wrench, Yamori ripped his jaws open and, before Kaneki could stop him, jammed the lump of meat into his mouth._

 _Kaneki choked, mouth filled with the vile taste of ghoul. Blood smeared over his lips and nose, suffocating him. Despite this, Yamori was relentless. "EAT IT!" he bellowed._

 _Kaneki swallowed as hard as he could. This was no longer a matter of wanting to or not: his brain was screeching for oxygen, and there was only one way to get it. His throat bulged painfully, but he managed to get most of the meat down._

 _Laughing uproariously, Yamori pushed forward even harder—and abruptly knocked Kaneki backwards, chair and all._

 _The room dissolved in a blur of red. Kaneki fell backwards, far past the point he should have hit the floor, spinning head over heels. The chair and handcuffs melted away, finally allowing him to move more than a few inches. He had a split second to take a deep breath and scream_ — _before he hit water with a splash._

 _Kaneki flailed around helplessly, unsure of which way was up or down. When he tried to open his eyes, all he could see was thick, oily black. This liquid_ wasn't _water, and it burned his eyes like coals. Caught off-guard, he opened his mouth in a cry of pain—and instantly regretted it._

 _Whatever he was submerged in was the most horrifying thing he'd ever tasted. It wasn't that it was_ bad, _although it certainly was: it made ghoul meat seem downright delightful. What was worse than the taste was how it made him_ feel _. Just a splash of this liquid on his tongue made him feel vile to his core, like an infection rotting away at his soul. And he'd just taken a mouthful of it._

 _Kaneki choked, accidentally swallowing most of the liquid. His stomach wrenched in protest, tying itself in knots. Desperate for air, Kaneki kicked blindly. His lungs ached more and more with every second, but he refused to open his mouth and risk another mouthful of whatever he was in._

 _Finally, just as his limbs started to go numb, Kaneki broke the surface._

 _He took a deep, ragged gulp of air and flailed about, grasping for something solid. His eyes were burning so badly that he could barely see, so when his hand brushed against solid ground, he grabbed at it desperately. Nails splintering against the unforgiving rock, he clawed his way up onto dry land—and promptly threw up._

 _Kaneki's body was wracked with spasms, forcing what felt like a gallon of thick, greasy black fluid from his throat. His skin was crawling, writhing like it was trying to twist itself inside out, and his throat felt as if it were on fire. Sucking in a wheezing breath, he collapsed on the dirt in a puddle of his own bile. The last thing Kaneki saw before passing out was the moon above him._

 _His eyes must have been far more damaged than he thought. Why else would the moon look like it was shattered?_

* * *

Kaneki snapped upwards like a catapult, heart hammering in his chest, a foul, somehow familiar taste fading in his mouth. The sheets clung to his body, damp with icy sweat. He sat like that for a few moments, unable to do anything but breathe and remind himself that he was still in RWBY's dormitory.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Kaneki glanced at the clock. It was nearly time for the morning alarm. The four girls were still asleep; he could almost pretend yesterday hadn't happened.

Of course, just touching the memory unfolded it like origami. Kaneki pressed his hands over his face, letting out a muffled groan. He still felt horrible—horrible that he'd let CRDL subdue him so easily, horrible that he'd let his own mind get the best of him, horrible that he'd driven team RWBY even further apart. Guilt threatened to tear his chest in half.

" _Still haven't learned anything, have you, Kaneki?"_

For the second time in a handful of minutes, Kaneki shot up straight. His eyes immediately focused on the pale, fuzzy shape lounging in the corner. His heart stopped dead in his chest.

The man in front of him looked just like he had the first time Kaneki had seen him. His pale yellow suit was free of the tears and bloodstains it had sustained in their final fight. He idly tossed a pair of pliers between his hands, claws knocking against the metal with a _clink, clink_ that seemed to echo right down to Kaneki's bones.

Yamori grinned, that same wide, shark-like grin that haunted Kaneki's nightmares. _"It's been a while. Nice to see you haven't changed much."_

Kaneki didn't even think about it. If he'd been more awake, perhaps he would have hesitated, but his mind was blurry and his nerves were shot. For the first time in weeks, his kagune erupted from his spine. A twisted mass of scarlet scales flew through the air like a missile, striking the spot where Yamori was sitting and reducing the floorboards to splinters.

There was a scream and a thump from the corner of the room. Kaneki leapt to his feet, already prepared for a follow up strike. His mind was racing so fast that it threatened to outstrip him entirely. _No no no no nononononoNONONONONO_ —

There was an ear-splitting _bang_ and a sudden burning stab through the small of his back. Kaneki yelped in pain and fell forward, blood spurting from his stomach, kagune dissipating involuntarily. Eyes wide, he stared at the spot he'd just attacked. Yamori was gone.

A split second later, someone tackled Kaneki from behind. He hit the floorboards face-first, so hard that he actually felt blood trickle from his nose. He almost resummoned his kagune and skewered his assailant, but realized at the last second what was happening. His theory was confirmed when he saw a lock of blonde hair dip down past his eye. Yang had pinned him, and with good reason.

Now sufficiently awake and realizing that she was probably a few seconds away from crushing his skull (he'd seen her shatter concrete with a punch, he knew she could) Kaneki held as still as possible. It was harder than expected, mainly because Yang was sitting on the spot that had been hit. It hurt, but he didn't dare try and move her.

"What the _hell,_ Eyepatch!" She shouted.

Fully intending to answer, Kaneki twisted his neck as far as he could just in time to see Weiss fly from her bed. "Yang, what ha... _Blake?!_ How did you—were you keeping that under your _pillow?_ "

"Can you blame me?" Blake snapped, uncharacteristically irate. "Look at the floor!"

"Huh?" Her outburst, ironically, was what finally woke up Ruby. "Wazzappenin?!" A flailing mass of blankets fell from the top bunk and landed squarely on Weiss's head. The two went down in a tangle of limbs and cloth. Ruby's head eventually popped out from the pile, hair sticking out in every direction. She stared, looking from Kaneki's blood-smeared face to Yang and back again. "Yang! What are you doing!?" Her eyes darted past them, fixed towards Blake's bunk. " _Blake!_ Did you _shoot_ him?"

Weiss erupted from the blankets and shoved Ruby to the side. "Get _off_ of me, you _dolt!"_

" _Whaaaaaaa!"_

"I saw that! Don't you dare move!"

"Don't let him go, Yang!"

" _CAN YOU ALL JUST BE_ QUIET!? _"_

Dead silence rang through the room. It was as if team RWBY had turned to stone. The only sound was Kaneki, breathing heavily in an effort to control himself. He hadn't meant to explode like that: it had just happened. It felt like a wild animal was clawing at the inside of his ribcage.

Yang was the first one to break the silence. "What were you trying to do, huh? Were you aiming for Ruby?" She shook his shoulders. "Answer me!"

"Yang, get off of him!" Ruby snapped, scrambling to her knees. "He's not going to attack us, he's _bleeding!"_

" _No!"_ Yang shook Kaneki so violently that his face smacked the floorboards again. "I knew this would happen. I'm not gonna let him eat you, Ruby!"

Kaneki's left eye twitched. "Yang, just...get off of me, please? You're going to get blood on your clothes."

Yang' grip loosened, just for a moment, before tightening again. "No way. You're not going anywhere until you tell me what you were trying to do, _and_ you convince me we shouldn't take you to Ozpin right now!" Her grip became vice-like. "In fact, forget that second part. I'm taking you to Ozpin either way!"

At that instant, the door to the dormitory burst open. Kaneki had just enough time to automatically close his left eye—it had most likely changed color—before Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, and Jaune all tumbled in, still dressed in their pajamas. Nora was holding a corner lamp like it was her hammer. "What's going on?" Pyrrha demanded. "We heard shouting—"

The four halted so abruptly that they nearly toppled over each other. Kaneki could only imagine how they looked: Yang straddling his back, Blake most likely holding her weapon, Ruby and Weiss both sprawled out next to the bed and a patch of floorboard smashed to splinters.

There was a long silence as the atmosphere of the room became smothering. Most of JNPR seemed too dumbstruck to speak; Ren's mouth was half open, and he was looked from person to person as if deciding what to question first. "What...happened to the floor?" He asked finally.

"Eyepatch did it," Yang blurted.

Every eye went to Kaneki in an instant. He ground his teeth, swallowing a bitter curse. "I didn't mean to," he grumbled, pressing his face into the floor. "I was having a nightmare." His chin started itching, but Yang had his arms pinned to the floor, and he couldn't scratch it.

There was a moment's pause. "Okay, so...why are you on top of him, Yang?" Jaune said.

Despite his face being flat against the floor, Kaneki could still sense the exact moment Yang realized how bad this whole scene looked for her. She shifted her weight, digging her hip further into the wound on Kaneki's back. "To make sure he didn't hurt u— _himself._ "

"Okaaaay." Nora sounded skeptical. "You gonna get off him now, then? I mean, he's just a little guy, Yang!"

Yang reluctantly stood up, allowing Kaneki to push himself to his knees. Immediately his hands scrambled to where he'd left his eyepatch: he grabbed it, lifted it, and tied it around his head in seconds. The instant it was on, he let out a breath that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. It had been a while since he'd had to work to hide his ghoul nature; he'd forgotten how nerve-wracking it could be.

"B-blood."

Kaneki froze, then turned his head. Jaune was staring at Yang, eyes getting wider and wider until they were practically the size of plates. "Blood! There's blood!"

Kaneki turned around. Sure enough, the front of Yang's pajama bottoms were soaked with blood, just like he'd said would happen.

"Are any of you hurt?" Ren demanded urgently. "What happened?"

Kaneki turned and looked to Yang, waiting to see if she'd out Blake for shooting him. When she stayed silent, Kaneki nearly scowled—but then, he had an idea.

Twisting around, he looked at his back (which had healed completely) and feigned disgust. "Thanks for that, Yang," he grumbled, swiping a hand across his chin in an effort to wipe off the blood. "I guess that explains why you've been so irritable lately."

It took a moment for everyone in the room to understand what he'd just said. Yang's face abruptly flushed the brightest red Kaneki had ever seen. He could practically see her swallowing an angry rebuttal, no doubt knowing it was either accept the lie, or explain where the blood had actually come from.

A part of him felt guilty for embarrassing Yang like this. Then again, a part of him didn't.

Jaune looked like he wished he hadn't said anything. "Well, uh, it l-looks like you guys have everything under control, so I'm j-just gonna—" He stopped mid-sentence, turned around, and bolted from the room.

Ren sighed and rubbed his temple. "Everything _is_ under control, then?"

Ruby finally managed to stand, tossing the blanket over a protesting Weiss and nodding emphatically. "Yeah! We're good!"

Pyrrha and Ren both seemed suspicious, but didn't press any further. "Okay, then," Pyrrha said. "Sorry for intruding."

Ruby leaned back in what was clearly an attempt to be casual (ruined by the fact that she planted her palm squarely over Weiss's face). "No problem!" she said cheerfully, ignoring Weiss's flailing arms. "You guys, uh...have a good morning!"

Pyrrha nodded. "You too." She left the room. Ren gave the group a final cursory glance before leaving as well.

Nora waved, following close behind him. "I'll bring you some chocolate later, Yang!" She called.

For a second, Kaneki was legitimately worried Yang would pop a blood vessel. Her eyes flashed blood red, but after a moment, she took a deep breath and grumbled, "Thanks, Nora."

Ruby finally stopped leaning on Weiss's face, allowing her to take a few gasping breaths and choke out an incoherent reprimand. Unperturbed, Ruby laid a hand on Kaneki's shoulder. "Eyepatch, are you okay?" She asked gently.

Kaneki shrugged her off. "I'm sorry about the floor, Ruby," he muttered.

Ruby waved him off. "Don't worry about it! I cut the curtains in half my first day in this room, so it's not like this is new."

Kaneki barely heard her. He was too busy inspecting his bed. The meager blanket he'd been using now sported a large red stain. He doubted the mattress had fared much better.

Ruby noticed him scowling at the blood stains and frowned. "Blake, what happened? Why did you shoot him?"

Kaneki finally turned towards Blake. She was crouched on her bed, practically climbing the wall, with her weapon held tight in her hand. The blade had been folded back, revealing the gun barrel beneath. Her bow had gotten squashed sometime during the debacle: it was pressed nearly flat against her skull. Kaneki was forcibly reminded of a scared animal with its ears pressed back.

Blake noticed him staring and swallowed. Her weapon hand twitched. "He broke the floor with those— _things_ on his back. I thought he was attacking."

Kaneki couldn't say her faulted her for that: if he'd been sharing the room with another ghoul, he would have thought the same thing.

Ruby, however, didn't seem to agree. "You can't just shoot people when they scare you, Blake!" she insisted. "Besides, why did you have your sword under your pillow?"

Blake held her weapon closer to her chest. "I just...I wanted to, okay?" She started rubbing her shoulder absentmindedly.

More specifically, the pale pink scar stretched over the top.

And just like that, any irritation Kaneki might have felt melted like snow. He'd known for a while now, but this display proved it without a shadow of a doubt: Blake was _terrified_ of him. And although he wished she wasn't, he definitely couldn't blame her for it.

His guilt, which had been muted during the chaos, came back even heavier. "Please don't worry about it," he mumbled, surprisingly unwilling to speak. "It was an honest mistake. I'm already healed, anyway."

Ruby, who looked like she had been about to give Blake a Port-worthy lecture, abruptly closed her mouth with an audible _click._

Kaneki reached down and picked up his clothes for the day. They'd been balled up and stepped on during the ruckus, but thankfully had avoided any blood stains. He walked towards the bathroom, leaving the others to stand in uncomfortable silence.

About five paces awake from the bathroom, Kaneki caught sight of something sticking out from under the bunk Weiss and Ruby shared. He would normally have ignored it, but then he saw the brown paper wrapping and string tied around it.

Kaneki furrowed his brow. Ozpin usually had Ms. Goodwitch drop his meals off after lights out, to make sure no students had the chance to get curious about the contents. How has it gotten under the bed?

It was only once he bent down and picked it up that he recalled Yang throwing something under the bunk the night before.

Kaneki felt the last of his patience with the blonde snap like taut wire. He straightened up and slowly turned around, fixing Yang with an icy stare. "Did you put this here?" He asked calmly, holding up the package.

Yang's went from flushed to pale at an impressive speed. "Ms. Goodwitch gave it to me last night," she said defensively. "I was going to give it to you."

 _Sure you were._

Kaneki turned on his heel and continued his walk to the bathroom. As he stepped inside, he paused, resting his hand on the doorknob.

"Well, I guess I should be grateful you didn't just stand there this time."

With that, he slammed the door shut. He couldn't be certain, but he almost thought he heard laughter as he did.

Deep, distinctly male laughter.

* * *

The walk to breakfast was a completely silent affair. Yang was noticeably subdued, dragging her feet like she was wading through cement and keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the ground. Blake had fallen into line a few steps behind Kaneki; he could feel her staring at him the entire way. Ruby was in the front, refusing to look at her sister, and Weiss looked like she was trying to stay as far away from him as possible.

All in all, this was definitely _not_ how Kaneki had wanted to start his morning, especially considering the events of the previous day. Between his scuffle with RWBY and his vision of Yamori, he could already tell that keeping his temper would be a challenge.

It wasn't as though this was the first time he'd suffered hallucinations. He could still remember Rize mocking him during his time at Aogiri Tree. Still, that had happened in less than ideal circumstances. His mind had been stretched to the breaking point constantly, so hallucinations made sense.

The question was, why was he hallucinating now? Sure, he was under a lot of stress (and to be honest, that was a _gross_ understatement) but not so much as to hallucinate again. And yet whatever Yamori he had seen was clearly not real.

 _It has to be because of yesterday,_ he eventually decided. _It should stop in a few days, once I'm a bit calmer._

For obvious reasons, the group reached the lunchroom a bit later than usual: breakfast was already in full swing by the time they walked in. The cafeteria walls echoed with the usual mixed sounds of silverware scraping plates and muddled conversations.

However, as soon as team RWBY and Kaneki stepped into the room, a wave of silence swept over the crowd. The chatter didn't completely die, but it went from a friendly roar to a much more concerning hushed whisper.

As the group started walking towards their table, Kaneki quickly realized what was happening. Almost every eye in the room was on them—or rather, on _him._ The stares weren't hostile, but so many people looking at him instantly put Kaneki on edge.

In the middle of the lunchroom, Kaneki caught sight of Cardin waving his arms around dramatically, face stretched in a caricature of fear. His teammates were gathered around him, laughing. It didn't take Kaneki long to guess what he was reenacting. Apparently, the tale of his breakdown yesterday had swept through the school like wildfire.

Weiss glanced his way nervously. For once, Kaneki couldn't blame her—he was shaking, not with embarrassment, but with anger. His body was flooded with white-hot rage. The urge to pounce on Cardin and split his skull on the table rose in him like a tidal wave, overwhelming. There was a sharp _crack_ from his right side—he'd cracked his middle finger without even thinking.

Before he realized what he was doing, Kaneki was striding towards Cardin with rapid, angry steps. He could feel weeks' worth of suppressed fury, as well as this morning's frustration, boiling away in his chest. Someone grabbed hold of his shoulder, trying to hold him back, but he broke free with minimal effort.

He wasn't sure what he was going to do. He wasn't sure he wanted to think about it. All he knew was that he didn't care what Ozpin said. He wasn't going to put up with this anymore.

Cardin turned, mouth stretching in a grin that would have made any hyena green with envy. "Hey, Patches!" He said cheerfully. "I was just talking about you!"

Kaneki's arm darted out so fast it blurred. He wrapped his hand around Cardin's throat, squeezed, and hefted him bodily from his chair. He wasn't tall enough to take him off the ground, but the effect was the same.

Cardin's cocky grin wavered. He clawed at Kaneki's hands, but Kaneki didn't budge. He kept squeezing, watching with vicious satisfaction as Cardin's face grew steadily redder. "Give me _one_ reason not to snap your neck," he growled.

The rest of CRDL leapt from their chairs, no doubt to help their leader. Kaneki shot them a glare so scathing that they wilted back into their seats almost immediately. Cardin let out a few gurgling chokes.

"I can't hear you," Kaneki said coldly, tightening his grip. "Speak clearly."

A vein bulged on Cardin's forehead as he worked his jaw, struggling to breathe. Then, behind him, movement: a pale flash, a white face, blood stains soaked into sickly yellow fabric—

Yamori.

" _Finally!"_ He crowed, eyes bulging out of his skull. _"Go on, do it! Rip his throat out!"_

Kaneki dropped Cardin as if his neck had turned to hot iron. Even though he knew that Yamori wasn't real now, the terror in his gut was unmistakable. Now that his focus was shifted, he could see everyone staring at him, even more blatantly than before.

A split second after Cardin hit the ground, coughing and clutching his neck, someone grabbed Kaneki collar from behind and yanked him back. Still reeling, he didn't resist. It was only when an arm wrapped around his throat that he resisted. He grabbed at the arm, engaged in a brief tugging match, and eventually managed to break free.

Kaneki whirled around and saw Yang standing behind him, hands raised in a half-combative stance. She'd grabbed him. Of _course_ she had.

Kaneki's lip curled in a disgusted sneer. "So _now_ you step in."

Yang flinched, abruptly going pale. For once, she didn't have an angry retort. She simply pressed her lips together and grabbed his arm. Kaneki didn't pull away this time; he simply allowed himself to be corralled towards RWBY's breakfast table. He took one last look at Cardin before he did; the boy hadn't gotten up from the floor, and his expression was somewhere between fear and fury.

Once they reached the breakfast table, Yang all but threw Kaneki at a seat, then stalked to the other side and sat down with a heavy _thump._

Kaneki stumbled, just catching himself on the edge of the table. He glared at Yang, before realizing that the other three were staring at him as well. Weiss looked disgusted, and Blake had some strange mix of terror and something else, but that wasn't what gave Kaneki pause.

Ruby...Ruby looked _scared._ Her eyes were wide, the pupils shrunk down to dots; her skin was the color of milk, and she was trembling all over. She was clearly trying to control it, but she was shaking all the same.

Her fear, more than anything, was what dulled the angry fire in his chest. He took a seat, quietly poured himself a cup of coffee, and took a long sip. It was only when he set it down that he spoke. "I'm sorry, Ruby," he said quietly. "You shouldn't have had to see that."

Ruby took a deep, shuddering breath, let it out slowly, and shook her head. "It's okay."

She certainly didn't sound like she meant it.

* * *

If the walk to breakfast had been awkward, breakfast itself was downright hellish. Now that the moment had passed, Kaneki was _seriously_ regretting his loss of control. The other students, despite eventually going back to their morning conversations, stared at him shamelessly. He didn't even have to turn around to know Cardin was doing his best to burn holes in his back.

Perhaps worst of all was the fact that Ruby didn't lose her scared look for the rest of the meal. She didn't make an effort to talk to him (or her sister, for that matter), and even flinched when he reached for the coffee pot. It hurt, far more than he had expected.

 _What did you think was going to happen?_ He mused bitterly. _You don't have any right to be losing your temper._

" _That's bullshit, and you know it."_

A violent shudder ran down Kaneki's spine. He looked up, sadly unsurprised to see Yamori standing behind Yang. His face was scrunched up in an ugly scowl. _"Honestly, this self-pity is getting annoying. What happened to being strong?"_

Kaneki ground his teeth and drained the last of his coffee. The last thing he needed was to start talking to a hallucination in the middle of the cafeteria. The other students were gawking enough as it was.

Yamori, seeing that Kaneki was ignoring him, walked around the table until he was directly behind him. Kaneki made a concentrated effort not to turn around.

" _You can't ignore me forever, Kaneki,"_ Yamori growled. _"I have all the time in the world to make you listen."_

Something cold and pointed scratched a thin line across the nape of Kaneki's neck. _"Trust me, though. You_ don't _want to keep me waiting."_

Kaneki's heart leapt straight up to the back of his throat. He spun around in his chair, so quickly that the legs rocked dangerously underneath him. There was a frightened yelp that sounded as if it came from Ruby, but he wasn't focused on that.

There was no one behind Kaneki, save for team JNPR. Chest heaving, he lightly touched the back of his neck. From what he could tell, there wasn't a scratch on it.

"What are you _doing_?" Weiss snapped.

Kaneki glanced her way wildly. All four members of RWBY were staring at him. He looked away, feeling a hot flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. "Nothing," he muttered. _Today just keeps getting better and better._

To his relief, none of the girls seemed to want to press the issue. Kaneki took a few deep breaths and stared down into his empty cup.

 _I'm slipping._ That thought wasn't hesitant; Kaneki knew it was true. _If I have another outburst like yesterday, Ozpin might have me arrested. Cardin will definitely try to corner me again,_ especially _after what I just did. I can't let him get me like last time._

 _As long as I'm careful, they won't be able to restrain me like last time. And I should be able to fight them off...but what if I have to use my kagune? Would Ozpin consider that an emergency situation? Especially if it puts student lives at risk?_

 _And what about Yamori? Will I be able to ignore him until he goes away? Or should I listen to what he says?_

Kaneki was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice when breakfast ended. It was only when Weiss snapped her fingers that he came to. "We're going, Eyepatch," she said crisply. "Come on."

Still halfway inside his own head, Kaneki stood up without much fuss. Still, as he stood up and started following the others, he couldn't help but glance around the lunchroom nervously. He knew, logically, that Cardin wouldn't try anything with RWBY there, but he couldn't help but check anyway.

Thankfully, he didn't see Cardin. Instead, he caught sight of JNPR a few meters ahead. For some reason, Pyrrha was lagging behind, as opposed to her usual walking spot next to Jaune at the front. Jaune himself seemed despondent, walking with his shoulders hunched and his hands lodged firmly in his pockets. Ren and Nora, for the most part, seemed to be doing their best to pretend nothing was wrong, and failing miserably.

Kaneki's brow furrowed. He thought back to yesterday, before his meltdown; Pyrrha had taken Jaune away, presumably to talk to him and boost his confidence. _What happened between them?_

Kaneki made up his mind in a split second. "Ruby," he called, hurrying to the front of the group, "can I talk with Pyrrha for a second?" _I'll take any distract I can get today._

Ruby froze, just for a second, before turning around to face him. "Why?" Her suspicious tone tugged at Kaneki's heart, but he knew she was right to feel that way. _She probably thinks I'm going to go hunt Cardin, instead._

In an effort to calm her suspicions, he decided to be plain. "She talked with Jaune yesterday to try and cheer him up. I want to ask her how it went."

Ruby's expression lightened a bit. She glanced over at Pyrrha, then back at Kaneki. "Okay. But stay with her, okay? I don't want Cardin to—" She seemed to lose her nerve and started over. "I don't want what happened yesterday to happen again."

Kaneki nodded. "Thank you."

Ruby smiled. "Don't take to long. I don't want you to be late to class!" With that, she turned and walked away, swinging her arms with at least some of her usual enthusiasm. The rest of team RWBY followed after her, each shooting Kaneki their own suspicious glance as they passed. Yang looked like she wanted to stay behind, but as she passed him by, she looked away.

She seemed almost...ashamed.

Kaneki shook himself. _I'm imagining things. Yang's not one for shame._ He scanned the mostly thinned out crowd until he caught sight of a familiar red ponytail. "Pyrrha!" He called, slipping through the other students towards her. "Wait a second!"

Pyrrha stopped and turned, looking somewhat reluctant. "Yes? What is it?"

Her tone made Kaneki pause. He'd guessed that their conversation yesterday hadn't gone well, but she sounded...strange.

It took a moment, but he recognized that tone. It was someone trying to hide their unhappiness. He was all too familiar with it.

Kaneki came to a stop at the same place Pyrrha did, just outside the cafeteria. Most of the other students had left, with only few left on the path and one or two groups still in the building. "What happened yesterday?" he asked.

Pyrrha turned back towards the rest of her team, almost desperate. Jaune was long gone, and Ren and Nora were both several meters ahead. She looked back, purposefully avoiding his gaze. "I...I don't know what you mean, Eyepatch," she mumbled.

Kaneki's eyes narrowed. _She's hiding something._ "You talked with Jaune, didn't you? How did it go?"

Pyrrha leaned back against the cafeteria door frame, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "We-we talked a bit. I couldn't really make him feel better, though." Her voice was shaking slightly.

"Pyrrha." Kaneki stared at her until she met his gaze, not even attempting to hide the intensity in his eyes. "What happened?" Despite phrasing it as a question, his tone made it clear he expected an answer.

Pyrrha shifted her weight for a moment, picking up speed as she became visibly more agitated. Just when Kaneki started to think he shouldn't have pressed the issue—

"He lied, Eyepatch!" The words exploded from her mouth so violently that Kaneki actually took a step back. "He forged his transcripts to get into Beacon. He didn't come in like the rest of us. He _lied!_ "

Kaneki wished he could say he was surprised, but honestly, Jaune forging his entry made a lot of sense. His skill level had been so low that Kaneki had wondered how he'd been allowed in more than once.

Much more alarming than Jaune's betrayal was how hurt Pyrrha sounded. Kaneki knew that Jaune meant a lot to her; everyone with eyes did. But she sounded as though he'd just stabbed her in the back. Considering how yesterday's conversation had been based firmly in the assumption that Jaune deserved to be at Beacon as much as the other students, he realized that probably wasn't far from how she felt.

"Is that why you two aren't talking?" He asked quietly.

Pyrrha blinked, as if she'd only just realized how heated she'd gotten. Her cheeks went faintly pink. "He got...angry. I'm not going to talk to him if he doesn't want me to." She sounded bitter.

Kaneki thought over what she'd said for a moment. As typical a that sort of behavior sounded for Pyrrha, he couldn't help but feel that there was more to it then that. "Pyrrha, what did he—"

"It's _fine._ " Kaneki had never heard Pyrrha sound so irritated, nor had he ever known her to intentionally interrupt someone. "Come on. We're going to be late for class." Without even waiting for his reply, she turned and walked towards the lecture halls, with just the faintest stomp in her step.

Kaneki watched her, feeling as if he'd just been unexpectedly slapped across the face. Not only had the conversation gone badly, it seemed as if it was actively driving Jaune and Pyrrha apart. He remembered that he'd been the one to recommend telling Jaune that he was worthy of being at Beacon, and felt his guilt come back even heavier. _Great. Just_ perfect.

As he moved to follow her, something shifted in the corner of his eye. A brief flash of movement behind one of the cafeteria windows, gone as soon as it came.

Kaneki scowled, irritated. _Yamori, again_. _These next few days are going to be hell._ He turned back towards the path and followed after Pyrrha, a hard lump of tension settling in his gut. _And not just for me, either._

* * *

Classes were a stress-filled blur after the morning's excitement. The only thing that stuck out was the fact that word of Kaneki threatening Cardin seemed to have spread even quicker then what happened yesterday. People were either staring at Kaneki with pity or a sort of awestruck respect. Either way, they were staring at him, and he didn't like the attention one bit.

Thankfully, he managed to avoid any confrontations, adoring or otherwise. Unfortunately, this meant he had time for four things: seeing Cardin glare at him, seeing the invisible but still enormous rift between Jaune and Pyrrha, feeling the still-present air of awkwardness among team RWBY, and perhaps most nerve-wracking of all, keeping an eye out for Yamori.

By the time free period came around, Kaneki's nerves were shot. Fearing that he might snap should one more thing go wrong, he brought his supplies into the living area and sat down in the corner.

Kaneki laid his textbooks out around him. Professor Port had assigned a particularly long essay on different types of Grimm and how they interacted with one another. It was interesting, but Kaneki wasn't in the mood for it. Still, it was either that, or try to make conversation with one of the girls, so he chose the least stressful of the two.

 _The Beowolf is the most commonly found species of Grimm, and is found in every kingdom in Remnant. It typically hunts in packs, although lone Beowolves are not uncommon._

" _Don't pretend you actually care about any of that garbage."_

Kaneki grit his teeth. He could see Yamori out of the corner of his eye, lurking above him like some oversized yellow gecko, but he refused to turn and look at him. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction, even if he was only a hallucination.

" _Still ignoring me? You're pathetic."_

Kaneki ignored him, forcing himself to concentrate on the words on the page.

 _The Beowolf is easily identified by its bipedal canine structure, narrow muzzle, and yellow eyes, as opposed to the more common red of other Grimm species._

" _You can't keep this up forever. We both know that."_

The words were starting to blur as Kaneki's patience started to fray. His left eye twitched under his eyepatch.

 _Beowolves are known to accompany larger Grimm species during hunts, in order to find easier prey. This often leads to particularly devastating attacks_ —

" _KANEKI!"_

" _Fine!_ " Kaneki slammed his book down on the floor and turned. "Spit it out! What do you _want?"_

Far from being intimidated by his outburst, Yamori grinned, clapping his hands together. _"That's it!"_ He crowed. _"_ That's _the kind of attitude I want to see! If you could just act like that around those girls, then you'd get somewhere."_

"That's it?" Kaneki couldn't keep the cynicism out of his voice, nor did he try to. "That's what you've been so desperate to tell me? That I should snap at the girls?"

Yamori nodded. _"They deserve it! They've made your life hell for weeks!"_

Kaneki couldn't help but scoff. "Why do you care? You had no problem putting me through hell, _remember_?"

" _And look at what happened! You didn't lie down and take it. You fought back! Granted, it took a while for you to stop blubbering, but_ —"

"If that's all you have to say, then shut up and leave me alone." Kaneki's tone was acid. Fire was crackling in his gut: anger at Yamori, anger at the girls, anger at his own fractured mind of putting him through this. "You're dead. You don't matter." He reached down for his textbook.

"Eyepatch?"

Kaneki snapped his head around, eyes blazing with the fire his stomach could hardly contain. _"What?"_ He snapped.

Blake, who had just stepped into the living room, leapt back like a scared cat, pressing herself flush against the wall. She looked as if it were taking everything she had not to run out of the room. "...What?" She sounded scared, but also confused, as if someone had just shouted gibberish at her.

Kaneki took a moment to collect himself. Yamori seemed to have vanished, and he'd scared Blake enough this morning. "I'm sorry," he eventually said, forcing his tone flat in an effort to hide his anger. "What is it?"

Blake stared at him intently, looking almost unafraid in her apparent curiosity. After a moment, she peeled herself away from the wall and took a few hesitant steps into the living room proper. "Can...I ask you something?" She asked, not-so-subtly shifting so that the couch was between her and Kaneki.

Kaneki froze for a moment, then slowly nodded, the last of his irritation fading to confusion. _She's never made an effort to talk to me on her own before. Is this about this morning?_

Blake rocked back and forth on her heels for a moment, knuckles whitening as she gripped the back of the couch. Her amber eyes were fixed on the floor, apparently unwilling to meet his gaze. When she finally did speak, her voice was so quiet he almost didn't hear her.

"What's it like...when you're hungry?"

Whatever Kaneki might have expected her to ask, it _definitely_ wasn't that. He couldn't help but stare in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Blake shifted her weight again. "Ozpin didn't tell us a lot, to be honest. He mentioned that you couldn't…" She swallowed hard, finally lifting her head and meeting his eyes. "That you couldn't control yourself."

Ironically, Kaneki had to look away. After several weeks of being ignored by the black-haired girl, he wasn't sure how to respond to her question. _I never thought_ Blake _of all people would ask me something like this._

"It's awful." Kaneki couldn't say what exactly made him speak—perhaps the fact that, for the first time since he'd come to Beacon, one of the older girls was making an effort to understand him in a way that didn't feel like an interrogation. "Being hungry, and looking at...at _normal_ food, and knowing you can't eat it no matter how much you want to…" An old pain stirred in his chest, a nostalgia for his humanity that he hadn't felt in a long time. "And after a while, it gets so bad that the only thing you canthink of is what you _can_ eat."

Blake listened attentively, her expression surprisingly sympathetic.

Feeling suddenly heartened, Kaneki leaned forward earnestly. "I want you to understand, I _cannot_ control myself when I'm hungry. The last time I tried, I—"

He stopped. Even now, Kaneki was unwilling to talk too much about his past. _Not yet, anyway. It's too painful._

Blake was waiting patiently for him to continue, so Kaneki took another breath and continued. "I was lucky. Someone else was there to stop me from doing something I would have regretted." He folded his thumb over his ring finger and pressed down. _Crack._ "And I mean physically stop me. She had to knock me out, and even then I don't remember what she fed me after."

It took a concentrated effort to stop himself from saying, ' _who_ she fed me'.

"It's not like stopping yourself from ruining a diet. The fact is, ghouls don't ever starve to death, because they either eat, or get themselves killed trying to. They'll eat whatever flesh they can find. Friends, family, lovers. I knew a ghoul that ate his own arm, once."

Blake recoiled, the color draining from her face, and Kaneki realized he probably could have left the last part out. In an effort to calm her, he hastily added, "But I _do_ know what it's like to be on the other end, as well."

"...You do?" It was the first time Blake had spoke since he started talking.

Kaneki nodded. "Ghouls are cannibals. We can eat humans, or each other." He cracked a wry grin. "And I've been told I taste delicious."

For a single split second, Blake almost looked genuinely pitying. "Is that true?"

Kaneki nodded. "The point is, I've been almost eaten before. I know how terrifying it is." A memory flashed through his mind: a church, a fight, a raving ghoul wearing a neatly-pressed suit and a maniacal grin. "And I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I'm sorry."

Blake didn't say anything for a long time. Kaneki didn't try and get her to speak; he knew she needed time to process everything he'd just said. _Hopefully, this doesn't scare her even more. I don't think I'd be able to do anything else, then._

"I'm going to be honest, Eyepatch." Blake's tone was serious, but surprisingly not unkind. "I still don't trust you, and we're still not friends." She stepped out from behind the couch. "But...thank you for telling me."

She dipped her head, turned, and started walking out of the living room, but paused before she'd made it halfway. "And I'm sorry I shot you this morning," she said, turning around and looking at him. Her eyes were sad. "It must have hurt."

Kaneki shook his head. "Don't worry." He shifted forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Pain doesn't matter as much when you heal quickly."

Blake's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't say anything. The silence carried on for a few seconds, before it became too awkward for either of them to bear. Blake turned to leave just as Kaneki opened his mouth.

"Can _I_ ask _you_ a question?"

Blake stopped and slowly turned back around. She looked apprehensive, but after a moment, she nodded.

"Why are you asking me this now? It's been weeks."

Blake pressed her lips together in a thin line. She stayed like that for a few seconds before answering. "Everything that's happened with Cardin…" Blake rubbed her shoulder uncomfortably. "I know what it's like to be pushed into a corner. And I know what it's like to have to push back. I guess…"

Blake turned around and stepped out of the room. Once outside it, she paused, letting her hand linger on the doorframe for just a second. "I guess I just wanted to understand you a little better."

With that, Blake left him in silence.

Kaneki sat perfectly still, turning over her last remark in his mind. _I…I didn't expect that from her. She's been so scared of me that she's been sleeping with her weapon under her pillow, but still..._

Chest feeling inexplicably lighter, Kaneki looked up. Yamori was standing over him, scowling. _"Don't tell me you believed that sappy little speech."_

Kaneki grinned. His problems weren't gone, not by a long shot, but he couldn't deny that he felt better then he had all day. "Fine, then," he said, turning back to his textbooks. "I won't."

* * *

The next day, thankfully, dawned with nowhere near as much drama as the previous one. Even Kaneki's sleep was mercifully uneventful. In fact, he woke up feeling quite refreshed. It felt as if a knot in his chest he hadn't even known about had started to loosen.

Talking to Blake, it turned out, had been a hidden blessing. Granted, she still didn't make an effort to talk to him as they were getting ready for breakfast, and she still shrunk away if he got too close, but she wasn't visibly trying to stay away from him, now.

 _Well, it's a start._

Ruby seemed to have cheered up considerably from the previous day. The walk to lunch was filled with her usual excited chatter about the scheduled classes. Kaneki paid close attention, happy that the young girl seemed to have recovered her cheery attitude.

Breakfast was better as well. People still stopped to watch them when they entered the cafeteria, but they at least tried to be subtle this time around.

Ruby marched to the front of the group, waving as they approached team JNPR's table. "Hey guys!" She paused mid-step, hand wilting down until it was at her side. "What's wrong?"

Kaneki stopped next to her. Now that he looked, team JNPR seemed much more somber than usual. Pyrrha was eating her breakfast with a dejected, angry fervor; Ren looked stiffer than normal, and even Nora was poking at her pancakes morosely.

 _Wait. Where's Jaune?_

Kaneki looked around the lunchroom in confusion. Jaune was hardly a social butterfly, and always sat with his team for meals. So why wasn't he at breakfast?

As they sat down with JNPR at Ruby's lead, Kaneki caught sight of the blond a few tables away. What he saw froze him dead in his tracks.

Jaune was standing at Cardin's side, nervously pouring him a glass of orange juice. CRDL was watching him with the sort of barely controlled glee you might see in a child watching someone light their birthday candles.

Kaneki stared. "What is Jaune _doing?"_ He said, aghast.

Nora looked over her shoulder sadly. "No idea. I asked him, but he just said something about 'making new friends'."

Ren took a long, weary sip of his drink. "He just left the room last night. Didn't come back until two in the morning."

Kaneki stared at Jaune, unable to tear his eyes away. As he watched, the blond spilled a few drops of orange juice on the table. Almost instantly, he fell over himself cleaning it, mouth flapping as he babbled what looked like an endless stream of apologies. To _Cardin._

 _What the_ fuck _is going on? Is Cardin blackmailing him somehow? Threatening him?_

"Pyrrha," Ruby asked urgently, "do you know what's going on?"

Pyrrha took a particularly savage bite of toast. "I'm sure our leader knows _just_ what he's doing."

Kaneki blinked, alarmed. He'd never heard Pyrrha use that tone of voice; it was the closest thing to a snarl he'd ever heard from her.

A sense of dread slowly creeping into his gut, Kaneki remembered his conversation with Pyrrha yesterday. How vocally upset she'd been over Jaune's forged papers.

Most of all, he remembered the flutter of movement he'd see in the cafeteria window. The one he'd taken for Yamori but now, with hindsight, he realized hadn't been yellow.

Every happy feeling Kaneki had felt that morning went up in flames.

 _ **Fuck.**_


	8. As Sweet as Figs

**Hello, everyone! Oh boy, am I on the ball or what? It's barely been two months! I'll be honest, I've gotten pretty sick of this whole chapter. I'm looking forward to getting into the actual plot.**

 **Anyways, COMMENT REVIEW TIME!**

 **EVA-Saiyajin: Very true. In fact, we might touch upon that in this chapter...Maybe.**

 **Heavy1825: Sorry! Hopefully it wasn't too bad this time!**

 **Rowan Ren: Ah ah ah! No spoilers!**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Thank you!**

 **TheWannabeWriter: As happy as I am you liked this, I cannot condone forfeiting school for it.**

 **Hitler's Mustache: Oh** _ **yes.**_

 **DD soul: Wait no more, my friend! It's time to have a field trip! And thank you so much!**

 **YeTianshi: Yaaaaaas, long reviews are my favorite. First of all, hey, you know Ozpin. Made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child, and all that. Jokes aside, I plan to shed a bit more light on his choice in later chapters. JNPR is pretty bro, yeah. And I really like that analysis on the teams! It's very true.**

 **Dr4g0nb411z: Find out next time, on Dragon Ball Kaneki!**

 **Plot Bull: She's pretty salty, yeah. She's an honorable person. Jaune being pretty dishonorable at this point. And yeah, Yamori is a bad. And redemption requires an acknowledgement of what wrongs you've done and a desire to atone, neither of which Cardin has done, so let him suffer, imo.**

 **SuperKamiEdgeLord: Oof. I can already tell...this comment is gonna get weird :) And don't, worry, I have BIG butterfly plans. They're just not apparent yet. And glad you liked it!**

 **desdelor97: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **kylC: Oof. Sorry you're losing sleep.**

 **Kaloo: I mean, she flew right up the elevator shaft afterwards, and didn't even seem dirty. And even after the whole fight, Pyrrha never even broke her Aura. So lasting as long as she did is still pretty impressive.**

 **Heretical: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **EctoAdler: Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe**

 **Silver III Jhin: Truly.**

 **senpen banka: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **EnigmaProtocol: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **IlluminatiAnimeLover789: I know, I know! Everyone is gunning for Cardin's head! But I** _ **promise**_ **you, the sting is coming. Very soon. And I'm SO GLAD you get it! Seriously, it warms my heart. Thank you, and again, glad you liked it!**

 **Marlo Fire: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **LostSoulWeeping: I'd be inclined to disagree, but then again, we might have read different translations of the manga.**

 **guest: Ruby would. Yang would get hit with that guilt, hard.**

 **Tiberiuas: That's fair. I promise, the bigger conflict is gonna kick in soon. Just bear with me for a little bit longer.**

 **Lolilord: HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE**

 **Guest: I suggest you go and read that story, then.**

 **RunDownLord: That's fair. But we'll be leaving that territory soon, promise. And YAAAAAS, someone liked it! I was told it might be too coarse, but I kept it. Sue me.**

 **DescendantYI2: Oof. People always knocking Death's story in my comments T-T Still, I'm glad you liked it!**

 **jy24: Sadly, kakuja won't happen for a while, since it's been a while since he's had ghoul meat. However, I'm not going to say it's** _ **never**_ **going to happen.**

 **Videomaster166: I feel ya, man. Speed reading is a blessing and a curse.**

 **MagnificentLies: Thank you! And I think he posted a note about it somewhere. Either in TG Remnant itself or on his profile page.**

 **Alex Bloodbane: Thanks! Here you go!**

 **TheManThatWalksTheAbyss115: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Avarize: Nuuuuuuuuuu T-T**

 **Sheville-Warhand-aka-The-Lower: Oof. That's more of a Jason thing.**

 **Guest: Hey, I resent that! It hasn't even been two!**

 **Guest: Please, keep crying over cliffhangers. Your tears give me life. That aside, I'm very glad you liked it! I try, I really do.**

 **Hey: Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!**

 **Guest: No promises on that. And sure thing! Here you go!**

 **TravisUmbra: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. And no spoilers, but...soonish. Maybe.**

 **MLGXXXHarambe: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!**

 **Guest: Yay! Thank you! I'm glad you like it!**

 **BlueAutumn12: 'Saddening'. Oh you sweet summer child. I haven't even tried yet.**

 **Nobody Important Liz: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my Yang. And I'm glad I've inspired you!**

 **As always, a big thanks to With Death Comes More Death for giving advice and just generally being awesome! He made the cover art for this story, and has written several TG/RWBY stories of his own. I recommend all of them.**

 **Now, LET THE STORY BEGIN!**

* * *

"Are you ready for tomorrow, Eyepatch?"

Kaneki took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and plastered a patient smile onto his face. "Yes, I am," he said, setting his homework down on his lap and turning to face her. "You've asked me that already, Ruby." _Half a dozen times._

Ruby had the good grace to at least look sheepish. "Sorry…" she mumbled, scratching the back of her head. "I'm just so excited!"

Kaneki sighed. _I can't really fault her for being happy, no matter how many times she interrupts me._ "I know you are."

"I mean, Crescent Rose hasn't had any real action in _forever_!" Ruby tossed herself backwards onto Weiss's bunk, throwing her hands in the air dramatically. "She might get rusty!"

Weiss calmly tucked her legs in closer to her chest in order to avoid her teammate. "With how obsessive you are about maintenance? I doubt it." She flipped the page in the textbook on her lap, scanned it, and wrote something down in her notebook. "Besides, we're going there for tree sap, not combat training."

"But there might be Grimm!"

"You're the _only_ one who wants that, I promise."

The two girls dissolved into squabbles. Kaneki tuned them out, too wrapped up in his schoolwork and his thoughts to pay them much mind. _She's right to be excited, though,_ he thought idly. _It'll be nice to get off-campus for a change, even if I'm still under surveillance._

Despite the fact that he'd been at Beacon for about a month and a half now, Kaneki had yet to leave the main campus. Several times, the girls had gone out to spend the day in the nearby city, but at least one of them had stayed behind with him each time (usually Yang). It wasn't that Beacon was a boring place to be, but Kaneki would have been lying if he said he hadn't gotten a little stir-crazy. As a result, he really was looking forward to this field trip, even if it _was_ just to a forest.

"For Pete's sake, Ruby!" Weiss snapped, loud enough to shake Kaneki from his thoughts. "I'm sorry I said anything! Can you please just leave me alone so I can finish my homework?"

"Fiiine." Ruby hopped up from Weiss's bed, pouting. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

Yang leaned over the edge of her bunk. "Remember Rubes, lights out is in half an hour."

Ruby nodded. In the past two weeks, she'd apparently forgiven Yang for her inaction against Cardin, which Kaneki was grateful for. "Don't worry! I'll be back before then!" With that, she waltzed out the door.

With the most talkative person in the room gone, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Kaneki fell into silence, proven only by the scratching of pencils and the flipping of pages. However, barely a minute into this newfound quiet—

"Eyepatch! Could you come out here for a minute?"

Kaneki jerked at the sound of Ruby's voice, coming from just outside the dormitory door. Still, he dutifully put down his work, stood up from his mattress on the floor, stretched, and walked to the door.

Opening the door, Kaneki poked his head into the hall. "What is it, Ru—"

He cut himself off. Standing outside the door to JNPR's dorm, looking as miserable as a kicked dog, was Jaune. Up close, Kaneki could see that his new role as Cardin's lackey had _not_ been kind to him: his skin was ashen, his frame seemed gaunt, and there were dark shadows under his eyes.

 _What has Cardin been_ doing _to him?_ Kaneki stepped out of the dorm, shutting the door behind him. _It's barely been two weeks!_

"H-hey Eyepatch," Jaune mumbled. He looked uncomfortable. "You didn't have to come out, you know—"

"I asked him to come out because I think he can help you, Jaune!" interrupted Ruby.

Jaune scowled. "For the last time, Ruby, I don't need help!" He looked at Kaneki, his expression almost...guilty. "Besides, I've bothered him enough."

Kaneki shook his head. "You haven't bothered me, Jaune. If you—"

"Don't lie to me, Eyepatch."

Kaneki stopped mid-word. He'd never heard Jaune sound so tense. "I—I'm not lying to you, Jaune," he said, stumbling over his words in surprise.

"Yes, you are!" Jaune snapped. "Even if you won't admit it, you're wasting your time even _talking_ to me. If you weren't so busy propping me up, you'd probably…" He visibly struggled for a moment before finally growling in irritation. "You'd be a lot better off, that's for sure!"

"Jaune, that's not true." Ruby stepped forward and put a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "You're here for a reason."

Jaune smacked her hand away with so much force that Ruby actually yelped. "Yeah, you're right." He spat the words out like they left a bitter taste in his mouth. "And if you knew the reason, you wouldn't want me here."

Before either Ruby or Kaneki could answer, Jaune's scroll started beeping. He jumped, hand twitching towards his pocket, before jerking it back like it had been scalded. The angry expression on his face melted into one of fear.

Kaneki jerked his head towards Jaune's pocket. "Go on. Answer it."

Jaune gulped, a bead of wear rolling down the side of his face. Slowly, he reached into his pocket, hand shaking. He hesitated for a second, then pulled the scroll out and opened it.

" _Heeeey!"_ An all-too-familiar voice blared out from the speakers. " _It's your buddy Cardin! I know you're probably busy with that Dust project that I gave you, buuuut I'm gonna need you to go out and get me a bag of rapier wasps."_

Jaune made a strangled sort of whining noise.

" _And make sure they've got some reeeaaallly big stingers. It's important, so_ don't _screw this up."_

With that, the voicemail ended. Jaune glanced up at Ruby and Kaneki. "I-I gotta go." He all but sprinted to the end of the hall, hesitated, and vanished around the corner.

Ruby and Kaneki stood where they were for a few seconds, uncomfortably quiet. "We should tell Ms. Goodwitch," Ruby said suddenly. "I don't know what Cardin's planning, but if he wants rapier wasps, then it can't be good."

Kaneki thought that over for a moment, then shook his head. "We can't."

Ruby looked at him incredulously. "What? Why not?"

Kaneki remembered, a split second too late, that it probably was for the best that he didn't spread the news of Jaune's forgery. "Listen, Cardin's been blackmailing Jaune. If Ms. Goodwitch finds out what Cardin knows, Jaune will be expelled."

Ruby started, genuinely concerned. "It's that bad?"

Kaneki nodded.

Ruby muttered something incomprehensible. "Fine. But we're keeping an eye on them tomorrow." She turned back towards the dormitory and grabbed the door handle. "Come on. It's almost time for bed."

Kaneki followed her into the room wordlessly.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and clear, but Kaneki was anything but happy. The threat of what Cardin might do hung over him like cloud. It was clearly bothering Ruby as well—she barely spoke on the way to breakfast, and she spent the meal gnawing on toast with a brooding expression on her face.

After an uneventful morning and a boring lunch, Kaneki followed team RWBY out to the edge of Beacon's campus. Waiting at the end of the path were several huge aircraft, made of dark grey metal and easily the size of a small plane. They reminded Kaneki of the remote-controlled drones he'd seen once or twice, but only in shape.

Kaneki stared. The sheer enormity of the ships were incredible, and even managed to make him forget his nerves, if only briefly. _We're traveling in_ those?

Ruby noticed him gawking and cracked a smile. "Is this your first time riding in a Bullhead, Eyepatch? They're cool, but they aren't as big as airships. I rode in one of those to come to Beacon! It was _awesome_!"

Kaneki was about to answer when someone bumped into him. He turned, more out of curiosity then irritation, only to see Ren of all people standing next to him. He'd put himself directly between Kaneki and Cardin, who had come up next to him without him realizing it. Even more surprising was the expression on Ren's face: it wasn't quite a scowl, but it was definitely irritated.

"Stay away from Eyepatch, Cardin," he warned. "Or I'll let Nora do what she wants to you."

Cardin took a step back, an oily smirk on his face. "I don't want any trouble, pal," he said innocently. "Come on, guys. We don't want to _bug_ Patches anymore, do we?" He and his team strolled away towards one of the Bullheads, laughing amongst themselves.

Ren watched them go, then turned. "I'm sorry, Eyepatch," he said formally. "I didn't like the way he was looking at your hands."

 _He probably just wanted to make sure I didn't have another episode._ Nonetheless, Kaneki was grateful. "Thank you, Ren," he said quietly, dipping his head.

Ren dipped his in return, before turning around and walking towards one of the Bullheads. Kaneki could see Nora waving from inside. Behind her were sat Pyrrha and Jaune, sitting as far away from each other as their seats would allow.

"Come on, Eyepatch." Kaneki turned as Ruby called him. "Let's go find our seats."

With no real reason to object, Kaneki nodded and followed RWBY. Even as he did, he couldn't help but remember the grin on Cardin's face.

' _Bug me', eh?_

* * *

The flight in the Bullhead was...interesting. It wasn't completely smooth, and there was the constant roar of the rotors that made conversation somewhat tricky. But overall, it wasn't a bad experience.

It did, however, give him plenty of time to think. Cardin's remark had only solidified Kaneki's feeling that he was planning something bad with the rapier wasps. _If I had to guess, he's going to try and lead me into a pit or something and then leave me with them. I'll just have to make sure I stay with the others_ —

" _Now you need children to play lookout for you?"_ A familiar figure stepped into Kaneki's line of sight. _"This school has made you soft,_ Eyepatch _."_

Yamori, unfortunately, had _not_ faded within a couple days as Kaneki had hoped. Instead, he'd become a constant fixture in Kaneki's life. He usually stayed quiet during classes, when other people were around, but whenever Kaneki was alone, or just with team RWBY, he'd appear. He'd badger Kaneki incessantly, pestering him to stop being so polite and to treat the girls just how they treated him. Most of the time, Kaneki was able to tune him out, but occasionally his nerves would crack and he'd hiss at him to be quiet.

Unfortunately, Kaneki's nerves were already somewhat frayed, so his tolerance for Yamori's muttering was much lower than normal. He stared fixedly in front of him, refusing to give the apparition so much as a twitch.

" _Look at you. Going on field trips like an elementary student. That headmaster has you on such a short leash I'm surprised you haven't choked yet."_ Yamori paced in front of him like a caged animal, scowling at team RWBY. _"And putting you with these brats? How much are you willing to take?"_

Kaneki still refused to look at Yamori. He hated to admit it, but his words were hitting their mark—Ozpin's decisions had vexed him for a while now. But he was willing to put up with it if it meant he was free to eventually go home.

Yamoristopped dead in his tracks, staring incredulously. _"He's not_ going _to get you home! He hasn't even tried! He probably wants to turn you into some sort of weapon."_ Eyes boring into Kaneki's own, he folded his thumb over his finger and pressed down.

 _ **Crack**_ _. "His own little quinque."_

Kaneki just managed to bite back an irritated growl. As it was, he must have made some kind of noise; a moment later, Ruby leaned forward and met his gaze, concerned. "You don't get airsick, do you Eyepatch?"

Kaneki pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath, and dragged his hand down his face until it was wrapped firmly around his chin. "No." He glared at Yamori, as if daring him to contradict him. "I'm fine."

* * *

Eventually, the Bullhead touched down, and Ms. Goodwitch ushered the students out of it and into the Forever Fall. Kaneki filed out behind RWBY. The instant he clapped eyes on the Forever Fall, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Ruby grinned, threw her arms out, and spun in a circle. "Here it is, Eyepatch! What do you think?"

Kaneki gazed around at the forest, eyes wide. It wasn't like anything he'd ever seen. Silver trees stretched out in every direction, topped with leaves the color of garnets. The ground was covered in lush grass the same color as the leaves, rustling quietly in the faint breeze. The air was filled with the cool, dry scent of autumn and a faintly sweet smell, like syrup.

He looked at Ruby and answered honestly: "It's incredible."

The students fanned out across the forest floor. Ms. Goodwitch took the lead and, with a wave of her hand, gestured for everyone to follow her.

"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but we are _not_ here to sightsee." She said crisply, as they walked between the trees. "Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure that none of you die while doing so."

There was the sound of clinking glass and a muffled yelp from the back of the group. Kaneki sighed and glanced over his shoulder; Jaune was lagging in the far back, arms stacked high with precariously-balanced glass jars.

 _Where did he even get those?_

Ms. Goodwitch came to a stop just outside a copse of trees. "Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at four o'clock. Have fun!"

The group of students separated into their teams and dispersed. "Come on, Eyepatch!" Ruby called, waving at him. "We're gonna go with JNPR!"

Kaneki shook his head. "I'll be there in a minute, Ruby." He jerked his head towards Jaune, who was teetering precariously after CRDL, arms still full of jars.

Ruby watched Jaune walking, a sad look on her face. She nodded in understanding before turning and following her teammates.

Kaneki hurried over to Jaune. "Jaune!" He called. "Wait a second!"

Jaune stumbled, nearly dropping his stack of jars. He glanced over his shoulder wildly and picked up his pace, but Kaneki caught up with him easily. " _Jaune,"_ he insisted, reaching out and grabbing the blond's arm.

Jaune stopped short, glancing pleadingly at Cardin, who was watching the exchange with an amused glint in his eye.

Cardin snorted. "You know what to say to him, Jauney-boy." He turned and sauntered away, his teammates jeering back at Jaune and Kaneki. "And you know where to find us when you're done."

He vanished into the trees, leaving Jaune and Kaneki alone. Jaune looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. "What do you want, Eyepatch?" He mumbled, tugging his arm away.

Kaneki wasted no time beating around the bush. "Jaune, I know he's blackmailing you. Pyrrha told me about your transcripts."

Jaune's face went pale so quickly that Kaneki was worried he might faint. "Listen," he added quickly, "I really don't care how you got in. But you need to stop before Cardin makes you do something you can't fix."

For a moment, Kaneki thought that Jaune might actually listen to him. Then, like a candle slowly burning out, the faint glimmer of hope in his eyes disappeared. "Leave me alone, Eyepatch," he mumbled.

"Jaune—"

" _Leave me alone."_ Jaune walked away without another word.

Yamori watched him go, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. _"Little brat's too weak to stick up for himself, and too stupid to let others save his sorry hide. Good riddance, in my opinion."_

Kaneki grit his teeth. "Shut up." He turned around, away from Jaune's retreating figure, and headed off towards RWBY.

* * *

Gathering the sap turned out to be easy. Kaneki filled his own jar in record time, neatly gouging a hole in the soft bark and collecting the cherry-red syrup that oozed from the opening. To pass the time, he swapped jars with Nora, and filled the empty one while she chugged the sap neat.

However, after two or three swaps, Kaneki was becoming impatient. He hadn't seen Jaune _or_ CRDL since they'd separated, and he had a bad feeling in his gut. After filling up his fourth jar, Kaneki decided to act.

Kaneki straightened up, tucked his jar in between two protruding tree roots, turned, and scanned the clearing until he spotted a familiar bronze circlet. "Pyrrha?" He said, walking over to the redhead, who was kneeling next to a tree.

She turned to face him. "Yes? What is it, Eyepatch?"

Kaneki stood over her, his expression grim. "Pyrrha, this has gone on long enough. We need to help Jaune."

Pyrrha's eyes went hard instantly. "Jaune made it perfectly clear he doesn't want _or_ need my help." She slammed the lid down on her jar and stood up. "And frankly, I don't feel much like—"

" _Pyrrha,_ " Kaneki interrupted urgently. "Cardin _knows."_

Pyrrha froze, eyebrows slowly furrowing. "Knows about...the transcripts?"

Kaneki nodded. "He heard us talking about it outside the cafeteria. Why do you think Jaune's been licking his boots all week? It's not because he's angry at you, it's because Cardin's blackmailing him."

It was happening slowly, but Kaneki could see the truth dawning on her. The look of horror on her face would have been almost funny, if the situation hadn't been so dire. "So, the reason he's been avoiding us all this time—oh Eyepatch, I'm such an _idiot!_ " She tossed her jar down to the ground. "Come on! We have to find Jaune before he—"

Almost comically on cue, a faint roar echoed through the clearing. Every head turned in unison. "Did you guys hear that?" Ruby asked worriedly.

Kaneki listened closely. The roar had faded, but he could hear something else: footsteps, hurried, panicked footsteps.

Three boys burst into the clearing, flying across the ground like frightened birds. It only took a quick glance to realize that they were Cardin's teammates. "Ursa! Ursa!" One of them cried, before running straight into Yang in his panic.

She grabbed him by the shirt and hoisted him off the ground. "What? _Where?_ "

The boy twisted around and pointed the way he'd came. "Back there! It's got Cardin!" He squirmed free, hit the dirt, and scrambled away in a gangly mess of limbs.

Pyrrha's pupils narrowed to pinpricks. "Jaune!"

Kaneki couldn't blame her _—_ his own heart had skipped a beat. _Cardin and Jaune, alone with an Ursa—there's no telling what could happen. Cardin could beat Jaune half to death and say it was the Ursa. Or run off and leave Jaune to fight himself._

Pyrrha must have been thinking the same thing, because she leapt into action almost immediately. "Ren, Nora, go get Ms. Goodwitch!" She commanded. In one fluid motion, she grabbed her spear and shield from her back.

Next to her, Ruby nodded and deployed her scythe. "Yang, Blake, go with them!" Her eyes flashed dangerously. "There could be more."

She turned. "Weiss, Eyepatch, you're with me."

Kaneki nodded. Weiss drew her rapier, turned, and pointed off in the direction Cardin's teammates had come from. "It's that way. Come on!" She took off at top speed, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Kaneki all sprinting after her.

* * *

Kaneki, Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha all skidded to a stop. They'd reached the edge of another clearing. It was bigger than the last one, rimmed with particularly study trees and big enough to house a Bullhead comfortably.

In the center of the clearing was a Grimm that Kaneki recognized all too well (and, thanks to his classes, could finally name): an Ursa Major. This one was just as big as the one he'd fought his first day at Beacon, and just as vicious. A few yards away from it, crawling frantically across the ground, was Cardin. He was covered in red liquid, and for a moment, Kaneki was sure he'd been hit...but no, it was too bright. _Tree sap?_

The Ursa was closing in at a rapid speed, and Cardin was still several meters away from his mace. Even if his Aura blocked the attack, there was no guarantee he'd be able to fight back before it broke.

There was a wild yell from the other side of the clearing, and Jaune, his sword and shield in either hand, sprinted towards Cardin as fast as he could.

Kaneki didn't even think about it; he took off across the clearing at top speed. He heard a shout behind him—he couldn't be sure, but it sounded like Pyrrha—but he didn't slow down. Jaune was a much better fighter then he'd once been, but that didn't mean he could take down an Ursa on his own.

Jaune hurled himself between Cardin and the Ursa, raising his shield over his head in order to block the creature's attack. The Ursa rose on its hind legs, roaring a challenge and rearing back a paw.

Desperate, Kaneki did the only thing he could think of. He crouched and leapt, sailing through the air and delivering a solid kick to the Ursa's shoulder. He used it as a springboard, launching himself backwards, flipping mid-air, and landing back on the ground.

The Ursa froze mid-swipe, tensing up in a way that could only be described as angry. Kaneki took a step back. The Ursa turned around, a low rumble building in its throat, and fixed him with a glowing red glare.

Jaune lowered his shield and peered around the Ursa's side. His eyes went wide in shock. "Guys, stay back!"

The Ursa thudded back onto all fours, let out a roar that shook the earth beneath Kaneki's feet, lowered its head, and charged.

Kaneki assessed the situation in a lightning second. _I can't use my kagune, not in front of Jaune and Pyrrha, and_ definitely _not in front of Cardin. Ruby will probably step in after the first attack, so for now, the best thing to do is dodge._

With his plan set, Kaneki darted backwards until the Ursa was a considerably distance away from both Jaune and Cardin. Once Kaneki had room to maneuver, he tensed, waited until the Ursa was only a few meters away, and leapt. He just managed to clear the spines on its back, hit the ground on the other side, rolled, and came up at a low crouch.

The Ursa skidded to a stop, stomping around as it tried to figure out where Kaneki had gone. After a moment, it twisted around, snarling and bearing long, glistening teeth. Without hesitation, it charged him again.

Kaneki repeated his earlier maneuver, jumping just as it reached him, but the Ursa surprised him by rearing up just before it would have hit him. Instead of clearing its back like before, Kaneki found himself clinging to the creature's muzzle.

Several things happened very quickly after that. The Ursa roared, rattling Kaneki's skull and blasting him with a wave of breath so wretched and foul that his lungs clamped shut in sheer refusal to breathe it in. Kaneki fell backwards, twisting midair and managing to land on his feet, albeit shakily. The Ursa fell forward, trying to crush Kaneki beneath its paws, but he dove to the side and narrowly avoided it.

Kaneki rolled across the ground and sprang to his feet. _Ruby's taking her time,_ he thought, glancing over to the group. _What is she_ —

He froze mid-thought.

Ruby hadn't stepped in. None of them had. They were standing right where he'd left them, watching the entire fight with what looked like bated anticipation.

It was as if the past month had never happened: Kaneki was back at Beacon, watching Yang laugh as the Ursa ran him down. _Even if Ruby hasn't realized it, Weiss_ must _know I can't fight with my full strength! Have the others finally convinced Ruby I'm too dangerous?_

Kanekilooked back at the Ursa, which seemed confused that he hadn't been reduced to a bloody pulp on the bottom of its paws. _If they're not going to step in, this is going to be difficult. Maybe I should try and run_ —

Out of nowhere, the Ursa jerked forward, roaring in pain. Kaneki was confused—until he saw Jaune behind it, sword glistening with a fresh coat of blood. "Eyepatch, get out of here!" He yelled, slashing at the creature's back leg.

Kaneki briefly weighed his options. Leaving the fight to Jaune meant that his secret would definitely be safe, but Ruby and the others _still_ weren't stepping in, and he doubted Jaune could take the Ursa down on his own.

Kaneki shook his head. "I'm not—"

Out of nowhere, the Ursa lunged forward. Kaneki jerked backwards, just avoiding its snapping jaws. Another wave of rancid breath washed over him, not as bad as the first one, but still thick enough to taste. He gagged, jumping backwards to avoid a follow up attack, and nearly tripped over Cardin, who was still cowering on the ground.

Kaneki allowed himself a small moment of satisfaction, before realizing that Cardin's mace was only a few steps away. _Well, if I can't use my kagune, and the others won't help…_

Kaneki darted over and scooped up the weapon. It was heavier then he'd expected, but he still lifted it without too much struggling. _This will have to do._

The Ursa charged across the clearing once more, ignoring Jaune, who was slashing futilely at its haunches. Kaneki took a wide stance and gripped the mace tightly. "Jaune," he called grimly. "Get ready. It's going left."

He had no idea if Jaune had heard him or not, but that didn't matter—the Ursa was moments away from impact. Digging his foot into the ground, Kaneki twisted back and swung the mace as hard as he could.

Over a month of nothing but human flesh and relative peace had left Kaneki weaker than when he'd first arrived at Beacon, but he was by no means powerless. The mace hit the Ursa's skull so hard that the bone mask on its face splintered like ice _._ It staggered back, spinning dizzily to the left—right into Jaune's waiting sword. There was a flash of steel and the _snick_ of carved flesh, and the Ursa's head thudded to the forest floor, cleanly severed from its body.

Only once the Ursa started to evaporate did Kaneki drop the mace. It had barely hit the ground when Jaune walked through the cloud of black ash. The closer he got, the most Kaneki realized how hurt he actually was: his lip was split, his face was smeared with dirt, and his right eye was blackened. "Are you okay, Eyepatch?" He huffed, clearly worn out from the fight.

Kaneki nodded. "I'm fine."

Jaune's shoulders slumped. "Good." His eyes went hard, and he turned around. "One sec."

He made his way over to Cardin, who was still lying in the dirt. As he stood over him, Kaneki couldn't help but notice how much bigger he looked. Jaune may have been physically weaker, but Cardin was a coward to the core. For a moment, he saw two other people in their places—a small, bony boy with snowy hair, and a quivering, sobbing brute with blonde hair and a bloody back.

Jaune pulled Cardin to his feet. Cardin stumbled slightly, gazing at Jaune with an almost fearful expression. "Holy crap, Jaune," he said, awestruck.

Jaune's jaw tightened. "Don't _ever_ mess with my team—" he yanked Cardin closer until they were nearly nose to nose, "—my _friends,_ ever again." He glanced Kaneki's way for a split second, and Kaneki thought he saw something dark move in his eyes. "Or you're gonna _wish_ I only did to you what I just did to that Ursa."

Cardin didn't answer. Jaune didn't wait for him to speak; he turned on his heel and walked away.

Cardin watched him go until he was on the other side of the clearing. Kaneki heard him mutter something under his breath that sounded distinctly unpleasant. He turned from side to side, eventually catching sight of his mace next to Kaneki's feet. His face darkened.

"Move it, Patches," he muttered, picking up his mace and slinging it over his shoulder. He turned around, unwilling to look Kaneki in the eye, and started walking across the clearing. As he did, he passed by a small cardboard box halfway tucked under a bush, one that Kaneki hadn't noticed before.

Curious, Kaneki walked after him, bent over, and picked up the box. Almost immediately, he felt small _things_ thudding against the inside. The whole container was buzzing angrily, as if it were filled with bees.

He eyed the crude W scrawled on the side. _Or maybe rapier wasps._

Kaneki's gaze slowly travelled from the box to Cardin, who was still sticky with sweet red sap. He remembered the glares, the thinly veiled insults, the rough, angry hands twisting his fingers. He saw Jaune, Pyrrha, Ruby, and Weiss walking towards the trees, backs turned.

Something yellow shifted in the corner of Kaneki's eye. He turned his head ever so slightly, just enough to see Yamori standing next to him. He looked like a child who'd gotten the present he'd always wanted. _"I know you won't do it if I tell you to,"_ he said, unable to hide the glee in his voice. _"Do whatever you want."_

Kaneki thought that over for a moment. _Jaune saving his life should have humbled him a bit._

He turned back to look at Cardin. _"We're gonna play, 'This Little Piggy'."_

Kaneki clenched his jaw, gripping the box so tightly that the cardboard creased. _But then again…_

" _What's it gonna be? The left hand, or the right?"_

 _I don't want him_ humble _._

Kaneki gave the box a hard shake, snapped open the flaps, and threw it.

The box hit Cardin square in the back, releasing an angry cloud of steely grey insects. Before anyone could react, Cardin was engulfed. He yelled, first in shock, then panic. He swatted at the wasps with his hands, trying to brush them off, but this only made the swarm angrier.

Ruby, Pyrrha, Jaune, and Weiss all turned around. It took them a collective second to realize what was happening; once they did, the reaction was instantaneous. Jaune went white as a sheet. Ruby pointed dramatically and shrieked, "Rapier wasps!"

At that instant, the first wasp stung.

Cardin howled in pain, throwing himself on the ground. He rolled around in the dirt, desperately trying to crush the bugs, and although he got some, the rest started stinging in earnest.

A passage from an essay he'd written a few days ago flashed through Kaneki's head: _rapier wasps are highly aggressive. Once they start attacking a target, nothing but their own demise will get them to stop._ Before he could stop himself, the edges of his mouth curled up in a grin.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yamori howling with laughter. It was odd, though; he couldn't hear him at all.

Weiss darted forward, adjusting her rapier before thrusting the tip forwards. A cone of wind shot from the end, blasting most of the wasps away. "Pyrrha!" She shouted, summoning a glyph to block the few wasps that darted towards her. "Help me!"

Pyrrha nodded, stretching out a hand. Cardin's armor glowed black, and he abruptly shot towards Pyrrha like a fish on a line. Once he was within range, she grabbed him by the back of his armor and took off, carrying him as if he weighed little more than a suitcase. Jaune sprinted behind her, shield raised to ward off any lingering insects.

Weiss, meanwhile, was doing her best to keep the wasps at bay. She spun in place and sank her sword deep into the ground: a glyph appeared in front of her for a second before fire erupted from the spot. The buzzing was replaced by the roar of flames as the entire swarm was flash-roasted.

Just as quickly as they'd appeared, the flames dissipated. Dozens of small, blackened insects rained down on the grass. Weiss straightened up, scanning the air for any stragglers before turning on him. She looked furious. "What on earth _happened_ , Eyepatch?" She demanded.

Kaneki busied himself with a small patch of dirt on his chin. "Cardin had a box of rapier wasps. He threw them at me, but the sap must have attracted them back to him."

Weiss's eyes narrowed. "And _why_ did Cardin have a box of rapier wasps?"

Kaneki shrugged. "I couldn't tell you." He fixed Weiss with a cold stare. "Any particular reason none of you stepped in?"

Weiss's face flushed at the edges. "Don't change the subject!" She pointed at him violently with her rapier. "I _know_ you had something to do with this. Do you honestly expect me to believe—"

"Weiss!" Ruby ran up to the two, hastily folding her scythe and slinging it on her back. "He's telling the truth! I saw Cardin with the box earlier!"

Weiss started. "T-that's ridiculous! No one would just carry a box of rapier wasps around!"

Ruby shook her head. "I know, but I heard—" She seemed to catch herself at the last second and hastily backtracked. "I _saw_ him with them while we were walking. The box, I mean. I didn't _know_ there were wasps in it!" She laughed, a nervous high-pitched giggle.

It took everything Kaneki had not to roll his eyes. Ruby was a kind girl and a strong fighter, but she was also a terrible liar. She couldn't have been more obvious if she tried.

Thankfully, Weiss didn't seem to be in the mood to press her. "Fine." She sheathed her rapier. "You know what? I don't even _want_ to know."

Ruby nodded. "R-right!" She followed Weiss to the edge of the clearing, abruptly stopped, turned, and gestured for Kaneki to follow her just a _bit_ too enthusiastically. "Come on, Eyepatch!"

With nothing left for him in the clearing but dead bugs and the scent of smoke, Kaneki walked after her. He was coming down from the satisfaction of his revenge; now, a question was burning in his skull, although with something that felt suspiciously like betrayal.

"Why didn't any of you step in, Ruby?" Kaneki finally asked.

Ruby pulled up so abruptly that she nearly tripped over a tree root. "Bwaaah!" She flailed her arms, caught a tree, and steadied herself. "W-what was that, Eyepatch?"

Kaneki didn't break pace. "Why didn't any of you step in? You must have known Jaune might get hurt." He kept his tone as light as possible, not saying, _Jaune and I._

Ruby stayed silent for a moment, before scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "Pyrrha told us not to."

Kaneki squinted. "Why would she do that?"

Ruby shrugged. "I think...she wanted to see if Jaune could handle it on his own." She perked up. "And he did! Well, sort of. You helped."

Kaneki turned that answer over in his mind. It made some sense _—_ Pyrrha always wanted Jaune to improve _—_ but not helping him fight a Grimm hardly seemed the best way to do it. _That_ _could have ended horribly._

The fight played through Kaneki's mind like a video. Even with two unarmed people to watch, Jaune had done well.He'd kept a relatively level head, and although he'd clearly taken a beating, none of the wounds were worse then bruises.

Kaneki smiled to himself. _Maybe I've been underestimating him._

* * *

The three of them finally made it back to the sap-collecting area. Pyrrha and Jaune were busy talking to Ren, Nora, Yang, and Blake, no doubt filling them in on what had happened. Cardin's teammates were gathered awkwardly nearby. And Cardin...Cardin was leaning against a tree trunk, receiving what sounded like a very stern lecture from Ms. Goodwitch.

"I'm aware that they sting, Mr. Winchester, but a future Huntsmen _must_ be able to shake of minor injuries such as these." Ms. Goodwitch shook her head. "Honestly, you should know better then to go poking about near rapier wasp nests. Go to the infirmary when we get back on campus if they're still bothering you."

She turned and left, still shaking her head and muttering something about immature behavior under her breath.

Cardin stayed where he was: slouched forward in front of the tree, arms lying limp at his sides, eyes lowered and breathing shallow. Despite how he was acting, he seemed largely unhurt. There were two or three red welts rising up on his face, one dangerously close to his eye, but considering what had just happened, it could have been far worse. Most of the damage seemed to be purely psychological.

Kaneki checked for Ruby and Weiss. Both of them had gone over to their team. Once he knew he wasn't being watched, Kaneki walked over to where Cardin was sitting and knelt down in front of him. "Can you hear me, Cardin?" He asked quietly, laying his hand on his shoulder.

Cardin didn't answer, but the way he shrank away from his touch let Kaneki know he was at least aware.

Kaneki leaned close until he and Cardin were practically nose to nose. "I want you to remember this," he whispered. "You've been getting away with a lot lately, but I promise, this is the _last_ time. Either you start minding your manners, or you wake up one morning with your mouth full of wasps and your lips _sewn shut."_

Cardin flinched, hard. He was staring fixedly at his own hands, but Kaneki could see the fear in his eyes.

Kaneki tilted his head, pretending to think of something. "Of course, if your mouth _was_ sewn shut, you wouldn't be able to tell anyone about Jaune's transcripts…But I don't have to worry about that, do I?"

When Cardin didn't answer, Kaneki dug his fingers into his shoulder. "I asked you a question. It's rude to ignore your classmates, _right_?"

Cardin squirmed, but Kaneki didn't let up. Finally, reluctantly, he lifted his eyes and met Kaneki's own. Since the day he'd first met him, Kaneki couldn't remember him ever looking so scared.

"Y-you don't have to w-worry," Cardin stuttered. "I-I'll st...I'll stay quiet."

Kaneki stopped squeezing and patted Cardin's shoulder. "Good." He pushed himself to his feet, brushing off a few strands of grass clinging to his knees. "I'm glad we understand each other."

He turned around and nearly walked smack into Cardin's teammates. They flinched back as a group, eyeing Kaneki like he'd sprouted fangs and horns.

Kaneki smiled politely, stepped out of their path, and kept walking.

He made his way back over the group, just in time to see Ruby practically leap onto Jaune's back. "You were _amazing_ , Jaune!" She gushed. "You and Eyepatch took down that Ursa like it was nothing! It was _awesome!_ "

Jaune nodded distractedly, gently pushing her off. "Thanks, Ruby," he murmured. He walked away, past Kaneki, to Pyrrha, who seemed afraid to speak. "Pyrrha, listen. I'm really sorry I flaked on you guys for so long, but Cardin figured out that I fa—" He caught sight of the other students out of the corner of his eye and hastily backtracked, "—that thing I told you about."

Pyrrha hung her head, ashamed. " _I'm_ the one who should apologize to you, Jaune. This whole time, you needed help, and I was too wrapped up in petty grudges to see it."

"Pyrrha, they weren't petty." Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder. "You were trying to make me feel better, and I was way out of line. I'm sorry."

Pyrrha smiled, placing her hand on top of his. "I forgive you."

Jaune smiled briefly, before turning to Kaneki. "And listen, Eyepatch—"

Kaneki shook his head. "It's okay," he said simply. "You don't have to apologize, for any of it." He cracked a grin, more for Jaune's sake then his own, and idly rubbed his chin. "You saved my life back there."

Jaune seemed shocked that Kaneki would thank him, but he nodded anyway.

"There's one thing I don't understand, though." Pyrrha looked at Jaune curiously. "What was Cardin doing with a box of rapier wasps?"

Jaune laughed nervously, without an ounce of real humor. "They were...f-for you. You and Eyepatch."

Pyrrha froze. "You mean—"

"Yeah." Jaune nodded. "He wanted me to throw sap on the two of you to attract the wasps. But I told him no."

Pyrrha touched his face tenderly, tracing her thumb over the bruise under his eye. "So these bruises…They didn't come from the Ursa, did they?"

"Yeah." Jaune scratched the back of his head, suddenly sheepish. "I couldn't let him hurt you guys." He took a deep breath. "I couldn't let him hurt _you._ "

Pyrrha paused, staring at Jaune with an almost hungry expression—and in the next instant, her lips were on his.

Ruby yelped and pressed her hands over her cheeks, face going as red as her cloak. Weiss and Blake both remained nonchalant, while Yang shot Jaune a thumbs-up. Ren looked impassive, but he muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'about time'. Nora leapt in the air and screamed, "YES!"

Kaneki raised his eyebrows.

Jaune seized up so abruptly it was as though he'd been struck by lightning. Pyrrha kissed him for a second before she realized he wasn't moving; once she did, she shot backwards and covered her mouth, face flushed.

"I'm so sorry!" She babbled, voice getting progressively higher. "I just...I shouldn't have done that without asking, it wasn't right—"

Jaune blinked, apparently too stunned to answer.

"I don't know what I was _thinking_ —"

Yang leaned forward and smacked Jaune's head. He shook himself, working his jaw for a moment like a gasping fish. Kaneki got the distinct impression he was coming out of a daze. "Nonononono, it's fine!" He spoke in such a rush that his words nearly came out slurred. "You just surprised me, I promise!"

Pyrrha shut her mouth with an audible _click_. The silence dragged on for several long, awkward seconds, before Jaune broke it by clearing his throat. "You could, uh...kiss me again, if you want."

Pyrrha smiled. Kaneki could have been imagining it, but her eyes looked distinctly watery. "I do." She leaned forward.

This time, Jaune kissed back.


	9. Breaking Point in Triplicate

**Hello, everyone! Now, I know it's been a really long time, so I owe you all an explanation. This summer was incredibly busy for me. I took up a part time job so I could save some money for college, and the rest of my time was spent sleeping (I worked late shifts) and preparing to actually attend college. However, I'm here now, life has calmed down, and hopefully I'll be able to speed up the updates from now on. I've been doing a lot of late game planning, and I think you guys are gonna like what I have in store for later chapters.**

 **Now, let's go to COMMENT REVIEW TIME!**

 **Eva-Saiyajin: I mean, I'm sure it was plenty troublesome to Cardin. Not that anyone else cares, of course.**

 **PrometheusDark: Heck yeah it has! Hop on board, we've got coffee!**

 **Sneky: That is fine, and I will respect your opinion on the matter. I myself am complete Arkos trash. And as for Kaneki's mental state...well, I won't say yes, and I won't say no.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: I knew people would like Cardin's comeuppance. And as for Arkos, no. No I do not.**

 **Dr4g0nb411z: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! I had the most fun writing the ending, let me tell you.**

 **desdelor97: Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **BlueAutumn12: I will not spoil potential plot points. And you should be worried. Very worried.**

 **: Glad you liked it! And I hope this is quick enough for you.**

 **EctoAdler: Oof, hope you have good insurance. Anyways, glad you liked it!**

 **Sakurada Kiritsugu: Truly.**

 **Tiberiuas: You'll have to wait and see.**

 **Guest: Sue me. I'm Arkos trash. And I'm not sure where you're getting your ghoul information, but that is patently untrue. Human flesh keeps ghouls fed and helps them operate, but ghoul flesh is what kicks them into power overdrive. I never said Kaneki would be weak, but he'd most definitely be weaker then when he arrived at Beacon, since he'd been subsisting on ghoul flesh for a while up to that point.**

 **Hey: Glad you liked it! I know I did.**

 **Greer123: You're welcome.**

 **Itharax: Thank you! You too!**

 **Guest: Thank you!**

 **forthose8675309: Thank you! I try my best.**

 **senpen banka: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **Silver III Jhin: Oof, he'd be having a real bad day then. Still, don't think Kaneki would do that with a Yamori ghost hanging around. He probably wouldn't find it very kosher.**

 **MEMENTUM: Ding ding! You got it right in one! That's exactly what Yamori is. You win an imaginary cookie! Not spoiling anything else, though, including Salem's role in all this.**

 **DorkSideoftheMoon: Yeah, Ozpin is kinda shifty, tbh. Very much a Dumbledore sort of character, only less warm and more chill. Not saying he's mean, but Dumbledore always was the kinda guy who you'd trust with your social security card, at least in appearance. As for canon alterations, I'll try to explain. Kaneki being there has bumped Jaune up a few pegs on the actual skill scale. He's not quite where he was at the beginning of, say, Volume 4, but he's close. His epic progression, coupled with his admittance of how he got beat up by Cardin (remember, he never explains the rapier wasps in the original) means that, at least in my version, Pyrrha got a little emotionally over excited. And this is personal opinion here, Jaune always loved Pyrrha. He just didn't realize it until the end of Volume 3, where it was too late. I'm not going to spoil Kaneki's character arc yet. I have big plans, and I'd rather keep them in the box for now.**

 **IlluminatiAnimeLover789: Yep, I'm a sucker for pun foreshadowing. And yeah, I'm sorry. I know these take a while. It's a combination of writer's block and the actual writing taking a while.**

 **YeTianshi: Yep. He's been good for a while, but he's getting...agitated. And it's true. It wouldn't be the first time someone left Kaneki to fight an Ursa. And I'm not spoiling anything.**

 **RunDownLord: Thanks!**

 **DD soul: Yep. And I know, but it will do for now. I don't think Cardin's gonna be a problem for a while, do you?**

 **Nobody Important Liz: I knew Cardin getting wasped would be popular. I'm not always sure what people will and won't like in this story, but I knew people would like him finally getting what he deserves.**

 **beowolfalein: Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

 **Videomaster166: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Plot Bull: You're darn right it is. And I've heard of Spacebattles, but I've been told that the update expectancy is ridiculous. I probably couldn't keep up.**

 **OmegaCheat: Glad you liked it! And yes I have. It was, sadly but unsurprisingly, disappointing garbage. The only redeeming qualities are the OP (the visuals are meh, but Asphyxia is a dope song) and Austin Tindle's performance as both Haise and Kaneki.**

 **GalactaisBest: Glad you liked it! And to answer your question, he probably could pass it off as Semblance, or a weird Faunus trait, but Ozpin has him on lockdown. He told him no kagune unless it's an emergency. And considering Ozpin has the power to bring down the hammer, Kaneki has to listen to him.**

 **TravisUmbra: Yeah. He's getting the equivalent of one medium human body every month and a half. So enough, but just barely. No spoilers on how this will affect him, though. Glad you liked it!**

 **SuperKamiEdgeLord: Hehehe. Maybe.**

 **KCstills17: THANK YOU! I'm so glad someone gets this.**

 **Fall2Glory: Yeah, it's a very tricky balance. I do think With Death Comes More Death pulled it off pretty well, though.**

 **Guest: Obviously, I can't make you stay with my story if you get bored of it, but I've known people to wait longer for less.**

 **LordAzrael1: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

 **Spiderwl: Come on, I'm going as fast as I can!**

 **TheManThatWalksTheAbyss115: Thank you so much! I'll do your best to live up to your expectations!**

 **Yeet: I can't! Dis bitch empty!**

 **Acerman: 'He knows that when there are problems that you can't handle alone, you get help.' Are we looking at the same Kaneki?**

 **Minxiboo: Hmm…Nah. He wouldn't tell just Ruby.**

 **Guest: No no no...Kan-EDGIEST.**

 **Ended the multiverse Detective: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **I'm-Bored-and-Gay: Come on, when has anything gone right in Kaneki's life? He's not that lucky.**

 **Javimagine236: Sure thing!**

 **Shade Techni: No worries, thank you, and sure thing!**

 **Noble: Aww, thank you!**

 **Guest: No worries, here it is!**

 **A big thank you, as always, to the wonderful With Death Comes More Death for providing his advice on this chapter. Go and check out his TG/RWBY story, Re, if you haven't yet. It's super good. And check out his older story, Tokyo Ghoul Remnant, as well! It's sadly discontinued, but it's still a great read!**

 **Alright, now then...LET THE STORY BEGIN!**

* * *

"Wow! Look at this, Eyepatch!"

Ruby pressed her face against the glass of a nearby store window, ogling at the display. Bemused, Kaneki stepped up next to her and took a look. Behind the glass were three mannequins, each dressed in a different article of clothing: a bowler hat rimmed in blades, a silver jacket covered in clear piping, and a pair of bronze bracelets with wrist-mounted cannons. Cardboard Beowolf cutouts were propped up around them, carefully slashed and burned to make it seem as though the mannequins were in the process of cutting them down. The effect was somewhat ruined by the large price tags stuck to the weapons themselves, but it was a nice effort nonetheless.

Ruby seemed enamored with the silver jacket. "That's a carbon-fiber Dust manipulation jacket!" She gushed. "I saw it in _Huntsmen Weekly!_ It can hold up to four different cartridges, and the Dust channels have a sapphire glass finish to—"

Yang, who had already walked a good ways away down the street with the rest of team RWBY, noticed that Ruby was lagging and turned around. "Come on, Ruby!" She called. "Stay with the rest of us!"

Instead of listening, Ruby pressed herself to the glass even harder. "But Yaaang!" She whined, voice somewhat muffled due to the fact that her face was mashed against the window panel. "It's so cooool!"

Yang walked over to her sister, pointedly ignored Kaneki, and gently tugged Ruby's arm. "I know it is, Rubes, but if you lag too much, Weiss is gonna leave you...in the _Dust_." She grinned. "Get it? In the _Dust_?"

Ruby groaned at the pun, but obediently pulled herself away from the glass and allowed a smugly-smirking Yang to lead her away. Kaneki followed them, somewhat grateful that Ruby had been cut off before she'd had time to go into one of her weapon rants.

In light of the upcoming Vytal Festival, Weiss had dragged team RWBY out of their dorm and insisted they be there for the students arriving from the rest of Remnant. Ruby had used the special occasion to coax the others into letting Kaneki accompany them. It was the first time in the two months he'd been in Remnant that he'd been to the city, and he had to say, it was a nice change of pace. The streets were decorated with long strands of colorful paper decorations and bunches of balloons, most likely in preparation for the festival, and an old man in a shopkeeper's apron was hanging a (somewhat crudely made) 'Welcome to Vale!' sign between two lamp posts.

Even without the decorations, Kaneki was enjoying being able to walk around and see the local sights. There were all sorts of stores, from weapons shops to grocery stores and even a coffee shop (Weiss had been in far too much of a hurry to let them stop, but Ruby had quietly promised she'd get him a cup later). He was even interested the Vytal Festival—although he couldn't fight in it, the idea of seeing people from the others countries of Remnant fascinated him.

Kaneki's excitement, however, paled in comparison to Weiss's. Ever since she'd woken them up, the white-haired girl had been grinning nonstop. When she caught sight of the 'Welcome to Vale' sign, she clapped her hands together with glee. "The Vytal Festival!" she all but squealed. "Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!"

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss," Ruby remarked, still sounding somewhat gloomy after being pulled away from the weapons shop. "It's kinda weirding me out…"

Weiss turned around and flashed her teammate a surprisingly sincere smile. "How could you _not_ smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! A tournament!" She skipped forward, twirling excitedly on the ball of her foot. "Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply _breathtaking!"_

Yang crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring."

"Quiet, you," Weiss shot back, although there was none of her usual frostiness.

She lead the group to the nearby docks, where several passenger boats were already moored. Kaneki grimaced. The air was heavy with the thick, greasy smell of fish and seawater. It was enough to make him nauseous.

Clearly, he wasn't the only one who wasn't pleased with the air quality. "Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting these stupid docks?" Yang grumbled, eyeing the water with disdain.

Ruby made a face and pinched her nose between her fingers. "Ugh, they smell like fish."

Weiss either didn't notice the smell or simply didn't care. "I've heard that students from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today, and as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom."

"She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament," Blake clarified.

Weiss scoffed, crossing her arms defensively. "You can't prove that."

Ruby, clearly already bored with waiting for students to leave the boats, looked away from the group. She froze, eyes widening. "Whoa."

Kaneki followed her gaze and quickly noticed what had caught her eye. At the end of the street, a crowd of people had gathered around a Dust shop. It was clearly the scene of some sort of crime: the glass window was shattered, and everything was covered with bright yellow police tape.

Without saying a word, Ruby started walking towards the crowd. The rest of the team followed her, Weiss grumbling her protestations at having to leave the docks. Kaneki, knowing that Yang would throw a fit if he stayed behind, trailed along.

As the group reached the crowd, Kaneki got a better look at the inside of the store. The shelves were knocked over, and the glass display cases had been smashed, clear signs of a struggle. Several police officers were stationed inside, alternating between sorting through the rubble and shooing away nosy civilians.

Ruby turned her attention to a man Kaneki assumed was a detective. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, black suspended slacks, and a pair of maroon-tinted glasses, and was busily scribbling away on a tablet. "What happened here?" She asked him.

The detective finished whatever he was writing in his tablet and tucked it away. "Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week." He turned away, shaking his head in disgust. "This place is turnin' into a jungle."

Yang tsked. "That's terrible."

The detective walked over to the shattered store window. A second detective, dressed identically to the first but notably clean-shaven, turned to him. "They left all the money again!" He groused.

"It just doesn't make a lick of sense," the first detective muttered, scratching his temple. "Who needs _that_ much Dust?"

His partner shrugged. "I don't know, an army?"

"You thinkin' the, uh...the White Fang?"

"Yeah, I'm thinkin' we don't get paid enough."

Weiss _hmphed_ in disgust. "The White Fang. What an _awful_ bunch of degenerates."

Blake's expression soured. "What's _your_ problem?"

" _My_ problem?" Weiss waved a hand nonchalantly. "I simply don't care for the criminally insane."

Blake rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in thinly-veiled annoyance. "The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

Kaneki couldn't help but shoot Blake an incredulous glance. From what he'd read about the White Fang, 'misguided' seemed like far too lenient a term. Robbery, arson, and even public executions; they reminded him of Aogiri Tree for a reason, and it wasn't the racial discrimination.

Weiss quirked an eyebrow, no doubt thinking the same thing. "Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!"

"So then they're _very_ misguided!" Blake insisted. "Either way, it doesn't explain why they'd rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."

"Blake's got a point," Ruby said hesitantly. "Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago. Maybe it was him?"

Just hearing the name Torchwick nearly made Kaneki roll his eyes on pure reflex. Ruby had recounted the tale of the fight that had gotten her into Beacon _numerous_ times, always punctuated with dramatic arm movements and explosive sound effects. He had no idea how much of it was true, considering Ruby was the only witness willing to talk to him, but if she was to believed, it was a plausible theory.

Weiss didn't seem convinced. " _That_ still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum," she said haughtily, sticking her nose in the air. "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."

Kaneki frowned. Something about the way Weiss said 'those Faunus' raised the hairs on the back of his neck, ever so slightly. He wouldn't try and claim that the White Fang weren't criminals, but the amount of contempt in her voice was...unsettling.

It was clear Blake could sense it as well: she bristled so hard that her hair almost seemed to puff up like a cat's hackles. "That's not _necessarily_ true," Yang interjected, no doubt in an effort to appease her teammates.

Whether or not her attempt was successful, however, Kaneki would never know; at that moment, there was an almost comically-timed shout from the docks, back the way the group had come. "Hey! Stop that Faunus!"

The group swung around in unison, Ruby already darting for the docks in a blur of rose petals. The others had no choice but to follow her. When they reached the handrail, the five stopped short.

Perched on the guardrail of the most distant boat was a person. Kaneki couldn't make much out, other then blond hair and the fact that they seemed to have a tail. "Thanks for the ride, boys!" The figure yelled, leaping from the boat and landing in an easy sprint on the docks.

A distant figure on the prow of the boat shook their fist angrily in the runner's direction. "You no-good stowaway!" They shouted.

As the figure got closer and closer to the main road, Kaneki could make them out more clearly. He was a boy, tanned and toned, with sandy blond hair tousled like he'd just towelled off from a swim. He was dressed in ragged jeans and a white shirt, which was completely unbuttoned, exposing an impressive six-pack. Dark red gauntlets encased his arms up to the elbow. Sticking out from the base of his spine was a long tail, covered in blond fur the same color as his hair.

The boy leaped from the dock, grabbed a nearby lamp post in a single hand, spun completely around it, and somehow ended up hanging by his tail with a banana held tightly in his hand. Kaneki hadn't even seen him grab it. "Hey, a no-good stowaway would've been caught!" He peeled the banana as he spoke. "I'm a _great_ stowaway!"

A rock sailed by the boy's head. "Ey!" Two men in matching shirts and suspenders—in fact, unless Kaneki was mistaken, they were the two detectives from the Dust shop—were standing at the base of the lamp post. "Get down from there this instant!" one of them demanded.

In response, the boy stuffed the banana into his mouth and tossed the peel onto one of their faces. Kaneki couldn't see the man's reaction, but it must have been amusing: the boy laughed cheekily, swung up onto the top of the lamp post, and leapt off, before tearing off down the pier. The two men cursed loudly and ran after him.

As Kaneki and the girls watched, the boy ran past them. Kaneki couldn't be certain, but he could have sworn he winked at them as he passed. He was in front of the group for only an instant, and then he was gone, the detectives in hot pursuit.

Kaneki and the four girls watched, somewhat nonplussed, as the men chased the boy further and further down the street. "Well Weiss, you wanted to see the competition." Yang jerked her head towards the boy's retreating back. "And there it goes."

Weiss blanched, which was an impressive feat considering how pale she was usually. "Quick! We have to observe him!" She took off after the detectives at top speed, Ruby and Yang following closely behind her.

Kaneki was about to follow when he realized that Blake wasn't moving. She was staring off in the direction the boy had gone with a dazed expression on her face.

Not wanting to go off without her, Kaneki took a risk and stepped into Blake's line of sight. "Blake?" he asked quietly. "Is something wrong?"

Blake blinked, shaking herself. "I'm fine," she snapped, uncharacteristically ruffled. "Come on." Without waiting for his reply, she ran after her teammates.

Kaneki blinked. _That was unlike her._ He ran after her, not wanting to get left behind while dwelling on the dark-haired girl's unexpected breach of character.

After a brief chase down the road, the group rounded the street corner just in time to see Weiss smack head-first into someone who had been coming the opposite way. The two hit the ground with twin cries of shock, landing in a tangled heap on the ground. Ahead of them, the boy leapt from the ground onto the side of a nearby building and climbed out of sight, with the detectives scrambling down a nearby alley in a failed attempt to keep up.

Weiss pushed herself to her knees. "No!" She whined. "He got away!"

"Uh...Weiss?" Yang pointed at the person Weiss had knocked over.

Weiss looked down, yelped, and scrambled to her feet, leaving the person on the ground. Now that she wasn't on top of the person anymore, Kaneki could see that it was a girl. She was wearing an eggshell blouse with long, ruffled sleeves, underneath a sort of grey and green overall skirt. Her feet were covered with black and green boots that went up past her knees, and lacy black socks that came up even higher. She had a cute, cheerful kind of face, with a spattering of freckles over her cheeks. Her pale orange hair was done up with a large pink bow.

She also had the brightest green eyes Kaneki had ever seen. They weren't just vivid, they were practically luminescent. The irises had a strange shine to them, as if they were coated in glass. That, combined with her overall appearance, made the girl look like some kind of doll.

The girl met the group's gaze shamelessly, smiling so brightly that it practically lit up her face. "Salutations!" She said cheerfully.

After a second of silence that seemed to stretch painfully, Ruby waved. "Um...Hello," she squeaked.

There was a pause as Kaneki and the others waited for the girl to stand. When she didn't, Yang asked,"Are you...okay?"

The girl nodded, never losing her smile. "I'm _wonderful!_ Thank you for asking!" Her tone, as far as Kaneki could tell, was completely genuine.

Yang looked unsettled, as if she wasn't sure whether or not the girl had hit her head just a bit too hard on the concrete. "Do you...wanna get up?"

The girl thought that over for a moment. "...Yes."

With that, she pressed her hands on the ground behind her head, lifted her legs, and flipped herself to her feet. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang all took a visible step back. Kaneki couldn't help but slide back as well. There was something odd about this girl, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Even so, she unsettled him.

The girl looked the group over, beaming. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to—"

'Penny' froze mind-sentence. She stared at Kaneki, eyes slowly traveling from his face down his body and back. The smile slowly slid from her face, replaced by a look of confusion. Once she reached his face again, she blinked.

"I'm sorry, but what exactly _are_ you?" She asked.

Whatever Kaneki might have been expecting, it wasn't that. He was so stunned that it took him a few moments to form a coherent response. "I...Excuse me?"

Penny tilted her head to the side. "My Semblance allows me to scan the bodies of all organic life." Out of nowhere, she hiccuped, but she shook it off almost instantly. "Your genetic structure is unlike anything I've ever seen." She looked him up and down again; Kaneki felt the irrational urge to cover himself. "There appears to be some sort of extra organ located around the base of your spine, although I'm not entirely sure what it does. It has roots leading to several other parts of your body, and the cell structure is simply fascinating. I've never seen a biological compound like it before."

With every word she spoke, Kaneki felt horror and panic rising up in his stomach. Even without knowing exactly _what_ he was, this girl _knew._ And if she knew, she might tell others. Ozpin wouldn't be able to protect him when the authorities came to Beacon. He'd be captured, experimented on, and inevitably killed. Even if he survived, he'd never be able to get back to Japan.

Yamori's voice rang clearly through his head, although the phantom itself didn't appear. _Kill her._ Almost without thinking, Kaneki took a single, lurching step forward—

Only for Yang to practically tackle him in a bear hug. She squeezed him so tightly that Kaneki felt his spine pop. "Don't you dare, Eyepatch," she hissed in his ear.

For once, Yang was being helpful, even if she didn't realize it: the impact snapped Kaneki out of whatever daze he'd been in. He took a breath (albeit shallower than he would have liked; Yang had a vice grip around his lungs) and let it out slowly, equal parts ashamed and irritated that he'd let his fear get the best of him. _It's different here. There's no CCG, no ghouls._ And certainly no reason to drag the girl down a dark alley and punch a hole through her stomach.

"Oh, the composition of your left eye has changed!" Penny chirped, completely oblivious to the tension. "How interesting!"

Kaneki felt his eye twitch under his eyepatch. _No reason at all._

The girls of team RWBY shared a frantic glance. Kaneki could practically hear the unspoken conversation between them. "Listen...Penny, you said?" Ruby started hesitantly. "Eyepatch is...um…" She trailed off, clearly struggling to come up with a decent explanation.

"He's a special type of Faunus," Blake cut in. "From a small tribe in the wild parts of Menagerie."

"We're not exactly sure what kind of animal traits he has," Weiss added. "There hasn't been very much study on this tribe yet."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah! So it's really, really, _really_ important you don't tell anyone!"

"Like, national security level important," Yang finished. She seemed to realize that she was still gripping Kaneki from behind, because she quickly let him go and pushed him away. Kaneki stumbled slightly, but managed to keep his footing. Any irritation he might have felt was buried under a sudden rush of gratitude for the girls.

Penny's eyes widened until they practically consumed her face. "A matter of national security?" She gasped, almost reverently.

Ruby nodded, visibly pleased that their ploy was working. "Yeah! If people knew about them, there would be raids and science experiments and old guys in lab coats with creepy mustaches! The whole village might get destroyed! So you can't tell _anyone!"_ The others nodded in agreement.

"You can count on me!" Penny placed her hand dramatically over her heart, looking Kaneki straight in the eye. "I promise, I won't tell anyone!"

Kaneki let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "Thank you," he muttered, absentmindedly rubbing the skin just under his eyepatch. _It would have been better if she didn't know at all, but I should be fine for now. I don't know what would've happened if Yang hadn't grabbed me._

The others seemed just as relieved. "Good to know we can count on you, buddy." Ruby awkwardly smacked Penny on the shoulder in what might have been an attempt at a friendly pat. "Sorry to leave so quickly, but we've got to, uh...We gotta go."

Yang waved. "Bye! Be careful walking around corners!" She grabbed Kaneki by the shoulders, turned him around, and gave him a push. "Come _on_ , Eyepatch, let's get going."

Kaneki glared at her reproachfully over his shoulder, but didn't say anything. _I was half a second away from skewering that girl,_ he thought, turning away. _She has—_

Penny was standing right in front of him.

Kaneki nearly jumped out of his skin. In the brief instant between Yang pushing him away and him turning to glower at her, Penny had somehow moved right in front of him. _Am I_ that _out of practice? I didn't even hear her!_

Penny was staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face. "What did you say?" she asked.

Kaneki blinked. For the second time since meeting her, this girl had left him stunned. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't say—"

Penny shook her head. "No, not you." She started walking towards him—and went right past him, coming to a stop right in front of Ruby. " _You._ "

Ruby squeaked out what might have been a, " _Me?_ " but sounded like a mouse being stepped on.

Penny nooded. "You called me buddy. Am I really your buddy?" She leaned in even closer, her nose almost touching Ruby's own. "Your... _friend?"_

"Well…" Ruby looked at the others with a panicked expression. Weiss, Blake, and Yang all shook their heads frantically. Even Kaneki gave her an uneasy shake of the head. _There's something not right about this girl. Even if she isn't hostile, we shouldn't be around her if we can help it._

Ruby looked back at Penny hopelessly. "...Sure."

 _Dammit, Ruby._

Penny giggled and clapped her hands together. "Sensational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys—Oh dear!" She suddenly smacked the side of her head with...a strangely solid-sounding _thwack._ "I'm talking about friend activities when I don't know your names! How rude of me!"

Ruby, who had been watching Penny the entire time with an expression that looked like she'd just been hit over the head, shook herself. "I-I'm Ruby," she stuttered.

The others introduced themselves: "My name is Weiss." "Blake." "I'm Yang!" "My name is Eyepatch."

Penny beamed. "And I'm Penny. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

She didn't make an effort to speak after that. There was an uncomfortably long silence before Yang finally asked, "So...What are you doing in Vale?"

"I'm here to fight in the tournament!" Penny chirped.

Weiss quirked an eyebrow. "Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?"

Penny turned to face the white-haired girl, raising her hand to her head and firing off a quick salute. "I'm combat ready!"

Weiss looked Penny up and down incredulously. "Forgive me, but you _hardly_ look the part."

"Says the girl wearing a dress," Blake deadpanned, jerking her head at Weiss's outfit.

Weiss crossed her arms. "It's a combat skirt," she huffed.

Ruby slid up next to her. "Yeah!" The two exchanged a quick low-five.

Weiss paused. "Wait a minute…" She walked up to Penny, placing her hands on her shoulders. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed…" She struggled for a moment, either searching for the right word or biting back something obscene. "Rapscallion?"

Kaneki rolled his eyes as discretely as he could manage. _I was hoping she'd forgotten about him..._

Penny blinked in confusion. "The who?"

Weiss scowled. "The filthy Faunus from the boat!" She punctuated each word by shaking Penny, hard. The girl's head snapped back and forth like a paddleball.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Blake suddenly snapped.

Weiss turned towards her, confused. "Huh?"

Blake stalked forward, every muscle in her body taut with aggression. "Stop calling him a rapscallion!" she demanded. "Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a _person_!"

Weiss let go of Penny. "Oh, _I'm_ sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamp post as a lamp post?" She gestured angrily at the trash can and lamp post in turn.

Anger flared up unbidden in Kaneki's chest. "Be quiet, Weiss." The worlds left his mouth before he could stop them.

Weiss's head whipped around so quickly that Kaneki was mildly impressed it didn't snap off her neck. " _Excuse_ me?"

Kaneki wasn't sure where his anger had come from. Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline from having his secret so easily discovered; maybe Weiss's casual bigotry had reminded him of things he would prefer to forget. Either way, he was no longer content to stay silent. "I _said_ , be quiet. You don't even know that boy's name. You don't have any right to assume he's a bad person."

Blake nodded at him, her usual wary expression replaced with a brief flash of appreciation. "Exactly."

Weiss stood frozen for a moment, jaw hanging open in shock, before she straightened up and crossed her arms."I wouldn't expect someone like _you_ to understand, anyway," she sniffed. "I suppose to should just be grateful he didn't take a bite out of those policemen while he was busy _breaking the law_."

Yamori, who had been remarkably silent thus far, chose that moment to make himself known. _"You should cut that little bitch's tongue out,"_ he snarled, pacing behind Weiss with an expression of utmost loathing on his face. _"She's too uppity for her own good."_

For once, Kaneki couldn't say he was completely against the idea. "Someone like me?" His voice was dangerously low, but he wouldn't go any further, not if Weiss took the opportunity to back down.

Predictably, she didn't. If anything, his tone just spurred her on. "Honestly, you're no better than the White Fang. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if _they_ carved up the humans they killed and—"

"SHUT _UP!"_ Blake exploded, making everyone, Kaneki included, jump in shock. "You spoiled, ignorant, bigoted little _brat!_ " Before anyone could stop her, she whirled on her heel and stomped away.

Weiss stood rooted to the spot, flabbergasted, before turning bright red. _"_ How _dare_ you talk to me like that!" She sputtered, jogging after Blake. "I am your _teammate!"_

Blake spun around, fury etched across her face. _"You_ are a judgemental little girl." The loathing in her words could have melted through brick.

"What is the world makes you say that?!" Weiss shouted.

The two continued to yell at each other as Ruby and Yang shared an awkward glance. "Uh...I think we should probably go," Yang muttered, uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

Penny poked her head over Ruby's shoulder. "Where are we going?" she asked innocently.

Ruby _eeped_ and fell into Yang, who managed to keep her on her feet. "Oh, uh, Penny," she stuttered. "Sorry, we gotta...We gotta go back to Beacon, so we can...F-finish making Dust cartridges for our weapons!"

Penny tilted her head. "You make your own Dust cartridges?"

Ruby nodded frantically. "Yeah, it's a whole thing with circle saws and blowtorches and it takes a _long_ time so we gotta go! C'mon, Eyepatch!" She grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him down the street. "Those Dust crystals aren't going to process themselves!"

Kaneki didn't resist her, as easy as it would have been. As excited as he'd been to go into town, the idea of staying there while Weiss and Blake screamed at each other didn't appeal to him in the slightest.

He glanced back at Penny, who was waving cheerfully at him. Kaneki's didn't know why, but it was at that moment he finally realized what was so strange about her.

 _I couldn't smell her. At all._

* * *

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!"

"That _is_ the problem!"

Kaneki grit his teeth, set down his pencil, picked up his eraser, and started scrubbing at his most recent spelling mistake. Blake and Weiss had cooled down a bit once they'd arrived back at Beacon, but it was clear they were still furious at each other. They'd started up again over an hour ago, and he was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on his homework with the two of them bickering so loudly. Ruby and Yang weren't even attempting theirs'—they were watching the two girls fight with mixed discomfort and interest.

"You realize you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you?" Weiss snapped. "The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"

"There is _no such thing_ as pure evil!" Kaneki, finally realizing that his homework was a lost cause at the moment, looked up in time to see Blake lose her temper for the second time that day. "Why do you think they hate humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin—people like _you_ —that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"

Weiss pressed a hand to chest, eyes wide with what appeared to be genuine shock. "People like _me?"_

Blake didn't let up for an instant. "You're discriminatory!"

"I'm a _victim_!" Weiss shouted.

The room fell into a ringing silence, jarring after such a long argument. Blake looked as though she'd just been slapped across the face.

Weiss took a deep breath and visibly composed herself. When she finally did speak, her voice crackled through the air like frost. "You want to know _why_ I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly _trust_ the Faunus?" She slowly made her way to the windowsill, pressing her hands against the wooden frame. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War—as in actual bloodshed."

Nobody spoke. The atmosphere in the room was so thick that Kaneki could have chewed it. Blake actually looked mollified, at least for the moment.

Kaneki couldn't blame her. _Weiss isn't the type to open up like this. This must have been eating at her for a while._

"My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember," Weiss continued. "And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear. Board members, executed. An entire train car full of Dust...stolen."

"And every day, my father would come home _furious_." Kaneki realized that, for the first time in the argument, Weiss's voice had started shaking. "And that made for a very. Difficult. Childhood."

Ruby walked over to her teammate and set a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Weiss, I—"

" _No!"_ Weiss knocked her hand off and rounded on Blake, vulnerability giving way to white-hot rage."You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and _murderers_!"

Blake had been completely silent during Weiss's tirade, and had seemed almost sympathetic; however, that last comment sent her into a rage almost instantly. "WELL MAYBE WE WERE JUST TIRED OF BEING PUSHED AROUND!"

Everyone in the room, Kaneki included, recoiled in shock. Like the tumblers in a lock, several things clicked into place, one after the other: Blake's sensitivity to the plight of the Faunus, her extensive knowledge on the Faunus and the White Fang, and the way her flesh had tasted...as if she wasn't quite human.

 _Blake's a Faunus._

Kaneki looked at the other girls—Ruby, who looked shocked, Yang, who looked stunned, and Weiss, who looked... _hurt._

Blake eyed the group like a frightened animal, pale and trembling. "I….I…" After a moment, she clearly couldn't take it anymore—she darted from the room so quickly that she practically left an afterimage in her wake.

"Blake! Wait!" Ruby dashed for the door, but it was already too late. "Come back!"

"She's a Faunus," Weiss breathed, the wounded expression on her face rapidly turning into one of anger. "You heard her, didn't you? She's a _Faunus_! And a member of the White Fang to boot!"

Ruby collapsed onto one of the beds, digging her fingers into her cheeks. "Oh my _goooooooosh._ "

"Think about it, Weiss," Yang said placatingly. "She can't be a member of the White Fang. Wouldn't she have done something by now?"

Weiss huffed. "Even if she isn't a member of the White Fang, _which I doubt,_ she's definitely a Faunus. I thought she was our friend! Why wouldn't she tell us?"

"You didn't give her much of a reason to be honest, Weiss."

Kaneki realized a split second too late that he probably shouldn't have said anything. Weiss rounded on him in a fury, eyes blazing like blue stars. "I don't want to hear it, Eyepatch!" She snapped. "She's been lying about this to _everyone!_ She should have known that—"

"That you'd think less of her if you knew?" Despite Weiss's tone, Kaneki kept his own voice perfectly level. "I'm not saying the White Fang aren't criminals, but you clearly have some personal bias against the Faunus."

"You don't know what it's like!" Weiss exploded. "Lying in your bed at night, hiding under your blanket because you're scared some...some _monster_ is going to crawl in your window and eat you? Worrying that every Faunus you meet is going to turn around and stab you in the back because of who your family is? The White Fang are _terrorists,_ and if hating them means—" She froze, eyes practically bugging out of her skull. "WHY ARE YOU _LAUGHING?!"_

In Kaneki's defense, he hadn't truly laughed; it was more of a derisive snort then anything else. It had slipped out before he could stifle it. _Well, I might as well commit to this._ "Weiss, how do you think people felt about ghouls back where I'm from?"

The question seemed to trip Weiss up for a moment. She blinked in confusion, the tension draining from her shoulders, although her face was still screwed up with anger. "What?"

"How do you think people felt about ghouls?" Kaneki repeated. "I wasn't the only one."

Weiss stared at him as if he'd just grown a second head. Kaneki swore he saw her eye twitch. "Why on _earth_ does that matter, Eyepatch?"

Kaneki chose his words carefully. "There was an entire branch of government dedicated to tracking and killing ghouls, the CCG. It wasn't just if they found you eating, either. They'd hunt you down in your own home if they knew you were a ghoul. And you couldn't even tell humans you trusted, because if they were found hiding you, they were arrested—and executed."

Ruby, who had just pushed herself up from the bed, collapsed again. "E-executed?" she said in a small voice.

Kaneki nodded, looking at Weiss earnestly. _Please, Weiss, understand what I'm saying._ "I'm not trying to make this sound like some sort of contest. I just wanted to say that so you'd believe me when I said I _do_ know how it—"

"That's completely different, Eyepatch! You _eat_ people!"

The room went deathly silent. Weiss stood where she was, shoulders heaving. Ruby and Yang both stayed where they were, too stunned to do anything but gape.

And Kaneki stood as still as stone, unable to even reel back. Even his heart seemed to stop beating. Weiss's words rang in his ears, getting louder and louder with each passing moment, until they drowned out everything else.

"It's...different?" Kaneki's words, as quiet as they were, were hissed with such rage that they practically scorched the air. He felt as if some weight in his chest had shifted through his body, like a block of lead finally heated enough to melt. Fury poured through him, far too agonizing to hold back.

Weiss, to her credit, seemed to realize that she'd gone too far—she shrunk back, eyes going wide. "I...I didn't mean it like that. I just meant—"

Kaneki took three rapid steps forward until he and Weiss were nose to nose. Startled, she yelped and scrambled backwards into the bedpost. "Do you think I asked to be this way?" Kaneki growled. "Do you think _any_ of us asked to be this way?"

Yang darted to his side and grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip. "Cool it, Eyepatch!" She barked, tugging him back.

For the first time since he'd started staying with team RWBY, Kaneki refused to let Yang move him. She staggered slightly, clearly surprised that he was even capable of resisting, before pulling even harder. He turned, scowling, and shoved her away. " _Don't touch me_ ," he snarled.

Without even looking for Yang's reaction, Kaneki rounded back on Weiss. "I know a little girl at home who's a ghoul. She draws pictures of her family to hang on her walls and has a pet bird she lets sit on her shoulder." His memories of Hinami floated through his mind, sweet and painful, like roses with thorny stems. "And when she was thirteen years old, I had to cover her eyes so she didn't have to watch her mother get _decapitated."_

Weiss went as white as a sheet. Kaneki felt a sick rush of satisfaction, but was far too caught up in his rage to stop for even an instant. "She didn't even get to bury her, Weiss." The anger is his chest pressed against his throat unexpectedly, making his voice shake. He swallowed. "The CCG carved up her body for parts, and when they wanted to lure her daughter out of hiding, they stuffed a piece of her under a _bridge_. You think that an angry father makes for a difficult childhood? Try someone telling you you don't deserve to be alive while you hold a piece of your own MOTHER!" His voice had been getting steadily louder the longer he ranted; the last word had come out at a shout.

"Just stop it, Eyepatch!" Ruby threw herself between Kaneki and Weiss, hands up, like she was trying to shield her teammate from Kaneki's tirade. "That's enough!"

For a split second, Kaneki was fully prepared to push Ruby to the side—until he saw that her knees were shaking, and her eyes were wet. His anger didn't dissipate, but he hesitated, just for a moment.

The room suddenly felt far too small and hot. Kaneki abruptly turned on his heel and stalked towards the door. "You think it's fair to judge a whole species based on how a few of them have treated you? Fine." He threw open the door, stepped into the hall, and shot one last scathing look over his shoulder. "Let me tell you, Weiss...I'm sick to _death_ of humans."

And with that, he slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Kaneki didn't even make it two steps away from the door before coming to a halt. His chest was still burning, but his thoughts were starting to catch up with his emotions. He couldn't exactly go storming off wherever he pleased; as much as Ruby tried to make him feel otherwise, the fact remained that he was effectively a prisoner at Beacon. If he disappeared for too long, Yang would doubtlessly go running to Ozpin, and who knew what he'd do?

Frustrated, tired, and miserable, Kaneki slumped back against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting with his knees pulled tight to his chest. He was starting to realize just how badly he'd reacted. What Weiss had said had hurt, true, but hadn't he said hurtful things about ghouls, back when he'd only just become one? Losing his temper like that hadn't been the right thing to do.

So why couldn't he at least feel guilty about doing it?

" _What's there to feel guilty about?"_ Yamori stepped into his line of sight, standing over him ominously. _"It's about time you started standing up to those brats."_

Kaneki tried (and failed) to stifle a low groan. "You didn't say anything in there," he muttered.

Yamori's lip curled up in a sneer. _"You were handling yourself just fine in there. But it's one step forward, two steps back with you."_

Kaneki buried his head in his knees, unwilling to even look at the leering apparition. "I overreacted."

" _You held yourself back. You should have_ skewered _that girl."_

"They have every right to hate me. I tried to _eat_ them."

" _That purple-haired gourmet freak tried to eat you, but you kept him on the back burner, didn't you? They need to stop taking it so damn personally."_

Kaneki didn't respond. Maybe it was the result of his earlier outburst, but he just couldn't muster up the energy to argue with Yamori. Especially when some small, filthy corner of his heart agreed with what he was saying.

There was a long silence as Kaneki tried to sort out his emotions. Suddenly, Yamori spoke up. _"You know what really pisses me off, though? That headmaster. He foists you off with a bunch of girls that treat you like garbage, and then just ignores you?"_ There was a snapping sound as Yamori cracked a finger. _"He's practically_ begging _you to kill them."_

As loathe as Kaneki was to admit it, Yamori had a point. He could count on one hand the amount of times he'd spoken to Ozpin since he'd started staying with team RWBY, and that was including the first time he'd met him. And no matter how much he'd thought about it, he still couldn't come up with a logical reason that he'd have him stay with RWBY, of all teams. It was as if Ozpin was _trying_ to cause problems.

Kaneki slowly raised his head and fixed Yamori with a reproachful look. "What do you think I should do, then?" he growled.

Yamori took a step forward, staring down at Kaneki threateningly. Kaneki felt a chill—Yamori may have been a hallucination, but the last time he'd stood over him like this, Kaneki had been strapped to a chair. _"Go up to his office and_ force _him to tell you what his game is."_

Kaneki thought that over for a moment. It would be nice to get some answers, or at the very least ask if he could have someone else watch him. Besides, he didn't want to talk to RWBY for a long time yet. _I don't have anything better to do, and I'm_ not _going to stay out here for Yang to find me._ "Fine," he said. "But you better be quiet while I'm up there."

Yamori's smile was nothing but teeth. _"No promises."_ He stepped just out of Kaneki's line of sight, and when Kaneki turned his head to follow him, he was gone.

Kaneki rubbed the bridge of his nose is frustration for a moment, before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Pushing himself to his feet, he crossed the hall to JNPR's door. He raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then rapped on the door.

There were muffled sounds of movement inside, before Nora opened the door. "Hey, Eyepatch!" She opened the door even wider. "What's up?"

Kaneki forced himself to smile, hoping that Nora wouldn't notice how fake it was. "Hello, Nora. Could you show me where Headmaster Ozpin's office is, please?"

* * *

 **Quick note: I usually don't do these at the end of chapters, but I want to clarify. I try and recreate the episodes as best I can in scenes that call for it (changing bits and pieces to allow for Kaneki's presence) but I did leave out one or two visual gags in this one. That's because they were anime tropes (ex: everyone falling down when something dumb happens) because they really don't translate as well into written media. Sorry!**


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